KatherineMcNamaraDESMA9

 Art and Robotics  My favorite anime, Hunter x Hunter Last quarter I took JAPAN 75 here at UCLA which w as centered around the history of Japanese anime. In JAPAN 75, we spent 3 weeks watching anime films with robot characters because they appeared in early animated films in Japan frequently. Japan is a very technologically advanced country in terms of mechanics, electronics, and transportation. The acceptance of robotic characters in Japan is probably more positive than in a country that is unfamiliar with technology. The reaction to robotic characters is similar in America, the world's second most technologically advanced country.  Astro Boy taking flight! The first robot anime we watched was Astro Boy which Professor Machiko Kusahara spoke largely about. Astro Boy depicted robots as emotional and human-like creations with incredible abilities. There were good robots and bad robots alike but, Astro Boy was mainly a hero for humans. I think this film made robots look cu...

Art and Mathematics       In my mind, art and mathematics existed independently as different tools until this week’s content. Art was abstract and creativ e whereas mathematics was logical and static. When I went through traditional mathematics courses such as geometry and algebra I wasn’t taught about the role they play in art. Additionally, I don't always associate architecture, music, film, photography, and other expressive forms of skill with the word "art" because every art class I took centered around painting. Through Professor Vesna, Flatland, and the various artists we looked at this week I realized art and mathematics are all around me in places I don't recognize. Math In Art      The intertwinement of art and mathematics can be hidden through beauty and perspective. We don’t acknowledge the golden  ratio, fractals, or perspective in front of us at first glance. The angles and proportions are hard to identify when they encompass such cr...

  Katherine McNamara: Week 1 Blog Post Two Cultures: Art and Science        After reading “Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution” by C.P. Snow I viewed his two cultures, art and science, as socially constructed communities for people to fall into. There are elements of categorization and division that come into play with society’s view of science and art. Seeing scientists with peers outside their culture voluntarily hanging around is an unusual image to see in popular culture or real life. Laboratories, research facilities, offices, libraries, classrooms, and art studios are all spaces used intentionally to grant people isolation from the outside world. UCLA Campus Map On our campus, all of our STEM classes are on the South campus separated from humanities classes on the North. While I understand the convenience of having classes near each other for the commute to class, the separation of people through space limits their interactions with those...