Week 3 - Robotics + Art

Mrs. Jetson talking to Mr. Jetson

As a kid, I remember sitting on the couch watching The Jetson's, one of my parents favorite TV shows. For those that don't know, The Jetson's was set far in the future, with flying cars, robotic servants, and means of communication unparalleled by modern standards...or so that is what my parents and I thought. Communicating through a screen seemed but a faint idea not imaginable at the time, yet here we are today. This feat is now easily accomplished with the touch of a                                                                                                       couple buttons.

Real life Cyborg

This concept is exactly what professor Vesna points out in her lecture on Robotics + Art. The influence of robotics on art is obvious (e.g. editing software), but it is the converse influence that I find most interesting. I believe art has the power to embody abstract ideas and make them concrete. This can be seen in shows such as Star Trek that bring to life the idea of a cyborg. This is now used today as humans are equipped with                                                                                                   mechanical limbs in order to return                                                                                                     bodily function.


With the development of the tech industry comes critique. In Walter Benjamin's, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," he points out how the mass production of art allowed by robots takes away from the creativity of a piece.

Western Culture View on Robots

Rodney Brooks explores this further in his TED Talk discussing the various impacts robots have had and how they will invade our lives. Representative of western culture, the use of "invade" carries a negative connotation for robots. Guest speaker, Machiko Kusahara, addresses this while also explaining how eastern culture (specifically Japan) takes the opposite view, welcoming robots into personal daily lives.


Overall, I believe the positives of robots far outweighs the negatives. Exemplifying the harmonious culmination of the two is the project "Murmuration," from UCLA's very own professor Jennifer Steinkamp. Her art piece combines technology and art and is designed to put individuals at ease as they enter the court house in Long Beach.

Jennifer Steinkamp's "Murmuration"

Sources and Links:

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/sites/18/images/article_images_month/2013-01/i%20robot%203d%2002.jpg

http://static1.therichestimages.com/cdn/568/299/90/c/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Untitled4.png

http://weloveit.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/jane-jetson.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UTkvGmOU8M

Works Cited:

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. 16 Apr. 2016. Print.

Brooks, Rodney. "Robots Will Invade Our Lives." Rodney Brooks. TED, Feb. 2003. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Fricano, Mike. "She Breaks through Boundaries of Art to Create High-tech Visual Poetry." UCLA Newsroom. UCLA, 11 Sept. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Uconlineprogram. “Robotics MachikoKusahara 1.” YouTube. YouTube, 14 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2016. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Lecture Part 2." Math + Art. 16 Apr. 2016. Lecture.