Week 3: Robotics and Art

 Week 3: Robotics and Art

The intersection of Robotics and Art began with the invention of the printing press in early times. Originally used for the spread of information including, news and books which contributed greatly to the overall industrialization that was occurring worldwide. A turning point for art and creativity was forming and this began because of Mass production and changed art forever according to Vesna. 

Although Mass production and assembly lines made a more consistent product, these creations were a less unique curated product as well. An interesting part of the lecture was the derivation of Robots and the link to hard workers and those in assembly lines- (capek, RUR)

All this industrialization has led to computers which were originally used for math and approximations using a plethora of circuits, and some used punch cards. These often cardboard disks with holes are a really unique item for this week that I had no prior knowledge of. However, it reminded me of Ivana Damas’s sirens and her art that incorporates machinery.

Her incorporation of technology into her practice and her work is very inspiring for myself in the computer science field however it raises the question of if coding is art. Some can’t see it but there is a great deal of creativity that goes into the development of programs and because there are infinite possibilities with this medium I would promote the idea of Art and coding being one in the same. This is unique to our time however because we are on the forefront of development and almost everything is a creative idea come to life. As Ucla is the birthplace of the internet not even a lifetime ago. This is similar to the questioning of if Photography was art in its first couple of years as in Walter Benjamin’s perspective it is in direct conflict with the principles of painting and other visual arts. 


In Japan, there is no clear differentiation between engineers and artists and they are largely considered to be creatives. This is perfect for the cohesion of art and robotics as the Japanese love this concept as you can see in movies and cartoons like Astro Boy and Ghost in the Shell.

Image 1:R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) (Penguin Classics) - Kindle Edition by Capek, Karel, Klima, Ivan, Novack-Jones, Claudia. Literature & Fiction Kindle Ebooks @ Amazon.Com., www.amazon.com/R-U-R-Rossums-Universal-Penguin-Classics-ebook/dp/B001M0BUOM. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024. 

Image 2:Visit | Yale School of Art’s Open Studios, yaleschoolofart.viewingrooms.com/in-person-studios/. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024. 

Image 3: Carne, Anna. “Astro Boy’s Influence from Past to Present.” Tokyo Weekender, 24 Jan. 2024, www.tokyoweekender.com/art_and_culture/astro-boy-influence/. 

References: 

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/benjamin.pdf. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024. 

The MIT Press Reader. “The Czech Play That Gave Us the Word ‘Robot.’” The MIT Press Reader, 14 Jan. 2021, thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/origin-word-robot-rur/. 

Ivanadama.com. “Work.” Ivana Dama, www.ivanadama.com/work. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024. 

“Robotics Intro.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Mar. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=dJcPtv7tnKY&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fbruinlearn.ucla.edu%2Fcourses%2F183769%2Fpages%2Funit-3-view%3Fmodule_item_id%3D6671238&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjQsMjg2NTksMjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo. 

Vavra, Bob. “The Art of Robotics-and the Robotics of Art.” Machine Design, Machine Design, 22 Aug. 2023, www.machinedesign.com/automation-iiot/article/21242604/abb-robotics-the-art-of-roboticsand-the-robotics-of-art. 





Comments

  1. Janeth Chavez Sosa April 19, 2024 at 8:06 PM

    Hey Wyatt!
    Your exploration of how robotics and art intersect is super interesting! You bring up a cool question about whether coding can be considered art, which adds a fun twist to the conversation and comparing it to the early debates about photography's artistic value gives it some depth that I had not considered. It is also amazing to see how Japan mixes engineering and art in stuff like "Astro Boy" and "Ghost in the Shell." Overall, your reflection shows how creativity and technology are blending more and more which is something we should begin to consider more and more in the new age. Thanks for your response!

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