Final Project PDF version

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw5In7KlHXBUUlBrd3Aycmd2ZUE/edit?usp=sharing

Final Project

Extra Credit Event 2: San Diego Automotive Museum

San Diego Automotive Museum

Dominique and I out front

My receipt

1956 Studebaker Commander

 The evolution of car design, both aesthetic and performance, has changed significantly since cars were introduced. Cars are the ultimate status symbol-- and how someone's car looks can say a lot about that person. Also, cars can have their own special colors and design on them, which their owners can customize to their desire. They also come with a variety of different options for how much performance the owner wants their car to have.

 At the San Diego Automotive museum, they have a large display of cars from different generations as well as some motorcycles. It is very cool to see how cars have changed over time, and how different cars have gone "in" and "out" of style throughout the years. It is also obvious to see how the automotive technologies have changed overtime. Now, there are electric cars and race cars that can go well over 200 mph. Back when the car was first invented, neither of those were ever seen to be options.

Each generation's car's design is reflective of what  was common at the time, and they are definitely pieces of art. They demonstrate cultural changes over the years as well as personal preferences.
I really enjoyed this video about how cars are an art form by themselves: https://www.ted.com/talks/chris
_bangle_says_great_cars_are_art
Chris Bangle describes future projects with cars as well as how cars have evolved design-wise.

1973 Ferrari

http://mindovermotor.com/2011/06/04/art-of-the-automobile-can-cars-be-“art”/
It is hard to argue that cars aren't art, because so many people feel such joy in even just seeing a certain car. People put paintings or posters of cars in their homes, and little kids play with Hot Wheels. As a whole, cars and their designs provoke emotion and often showcase their true beauty to the viewer. Their sounds and how their engines work are also seen as beautiful to many. It also shows the increasing sophistication in technology throughout time.

1913 Cadillac

1975 Rolls Royce

1912 Motorcycle

 Cars can also be used as a canvas, similar to how people put bumper stickers or paint designs on their cars.
They are often used in movies to portray something about their characters too.

1980's Car

The 1980's car on the right designed specifically for the movie, "Back to the Future" is a great example about art and technology. Through using a supposed "future" technology, the directors of the film could better portray the setting of the movie.

 http://www.commutercars.com
The Tango car is a new and revolutionary car for people traveling to and from work. It is a very small and compact automobile, and showcases the new technology available in the automotive world. It also can be an artistic statement piece, such as the specific "Tango" to the left.

Overall, I would suggest coming to the museum if you have an interest in cars and how they've changed over the years. 

Bibliography:

Bangle, Chris. "Great Cars Are Great Art." Chris Bangle:. Ted, Feb. 2002. Web. 04 Aug. 2014. <https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_bangle_says_great_cars_are_art>.

"Commuter Cars Tango." Commuter Cars. Commuter Cars, n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.commutercars.com>.

"Movies Cars Technology Back to the Future Artwork Wheels Delorean Dmc12 1920x1200 Wallpaper Art and Technology Artwork HD."Cars,movies Movies Cars Technology Back to the Future Artwork Wheels Delorean Dmc12 1920x1200 Wallpaper – Cars,movies Movies Cars Technology Back to the Future Artwork Wheels Delorean Dmc12 1920x1200 Wallpaper – Artwork Wallpaper – Desktop Wallpaper. Wallpaper Fly, n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2014. <http://www.wallpaperfly.com/Art_and_Technology/Artwork/movies_cars_technology_back_to_the_future_artwork_wheels_delorean_dmc12_1920x1200_wallpaper_25347>.

"San Diego Automotive Museum." San Diego Automotive Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2014. <http://sdautomuseum.org/>.

 Walker, Nicholas. "Art of the Automobile: Can Cars Be." Mind over Motor. Mind over Motor, 4 June 2011. Web. 04 Aug. 2014. <http://mindovermotor.com/2011/06/04/art-of-the-automobile-can-cars-be-%E2%80%9Cart%E2%80%9D/>.

Extra Credit Event 1: San Diego Museum of Man-Instruments of Torture

Instruments of Torture

    

My receipt (the Mayan exhibit and this exhibit used the same ticket)

Dominique Cetale and I in front of the exhibit

The Instruments of Torture exhibit is a visiting exhibit at the Museum of Man in San Diego, CA. My cousin, Dominique and I decided to go to this exhibit because of it's unique quality. Rather than the exhibit being about something that one would call "beautiful", they explain the rather darker side of a culture. The exhibit showcased different types of devices used to torture and punish people. We were unable to take any photos of the pieces in the exhibit, but I have found some online. 

A device used to punish women

The whole exhibit

A variety of devices used for torture

A spiked chair used for prisoners

The technology for human punishment has changed over the years. However, the main shift in technology has come from the shift in laws and ideas in how people should be treated. For example, in the United States, lethal injection for death row has slowly replaced usage of hanging, gas chambers and electrical chairs. It has been determined that it is less painful than those other options of death. As civilization has moved on, people have transitioned towards "nicer" was of killing people. While this is not true everywhere, globally there has been a shift from torturing devices to quick (and relatively painless) sources of death. 

The majority of the torture devices were not designed in order to be aesthetically pleasing, but purely for maximal pain. Most of the devices had spikes, stretched people uncomfortably or were used to cut a person up.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/g-roger-denson/torture-and-terror-in-art_b_2600028.html 

This article shows many good pictures about how torture has been portrayed in art throughout history, and these physical remains of torture devices are just a better way for us to learn exactly how people were hurt.

Since torture has been a part of human history since it began, it is not surprising that torture has been portrayed in art pieces. In many cultures, torture was extremely common and was almost used as a form of entertainment.

While this was an educational event, I am not sure if I would recommend it. It was very sad and almost scary to see all of these torturing devices. However, if you would like to know the history of how people have tortured others throughout the years in different cultures, it is a great event.

Bibliography:

Accomando, Beth, Maureen Cavanaugh, and Katie Schoolov. "Instruments of Torture." KPBS Public Broadcasting. KPBS, 3 Sept. 2012. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/sep/03/instruments-torture/>.

Denson, G. Roger. "Torture and Terror in Art History and the Healing Power of Revelation Before Zero Dark Thirty." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 01 Feb. 2013. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/g-roger-denson/torture-and-terror-in-art_b_2600028.html>.

Henry, Michelle. "Torture - ESL Resources." Torture - ESL Resources. N.p., 25 May 2013. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://www.michellehenry.fr/torture.htm>.

"Instruments of Torture." Museum of Man. San Diego Museum of Man, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://www.museumofman.org/torture>.

McCorquodale, Amanda. "Around Town This Weekend: Instruments of Torture, Venus Williams, and DIY Soundtracks." Riptide 2.0. Miami New Times Blogs, 2 Apr. 2010. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2010/04/around_town_this_weekend_16.php>.

Event 3: Mayan Exhibit at San Diego Museum of Man

Mayan Exhibit

For my third event, I went with my classmate and close friend Dominique Cetale to the Museum of Man in San Diego, CA at Balboa Park. One of the main exhibits in the museum was the Mayan exhibit. While it is a small portion of the museum, there are many large Mayan monuments up for display. 

My receipt for my ticket

Dominique and I in front of the exhibit

A Mayan "Stela" side E

Description of the prior photo

The Mayans have always been known for their innovations. The ancient group of people excelled far beyond the average capabilities of civilizations at that time. The Mayans started out as a civilization that was very successful agriculturally. They are also very well known for their architecture, especially pyramids, throughout Central America. Mayan life was deeply rooted in their polytheistic religion, and they also had a 365 day calendar that was inscribed on the Stelae and on the sides of pyramids. Unlike other civilizations at the same time, they were advanced in mathematics and astronomy. For an unknown and heavily debated reason the Mayans disappeared suddenly around 900 A.D. However, they left their stone inscriptions and throughout the years scientists have discovered their meanings.

The Mayans revolved their life around the calendar and around their cities. The cities all had pyramids that were designed in order to work well with the environment as well as to be aesthetically pleasing. Hundreds (to thousands, potentially) of these pyramids are scattered within the rainforest, and they were also sites for religious events. 

Breakdown of the calendar meaning of the pyramids

Mayan Pyramids

As you can see below, the circular calendar is very aesthetically pleasing, but it also has a lot of function as a tool of keeping track of time:

The Mayans were one of the first societies to use technology well in order to help them succeed far beyond others of their time. Their technology has created a stereotypical view of the Mayans for us, and it is what we are left with in order to understand them as a culture.

This is a detailed description of how to read a Mayan Calendar

This is a video from National Geographic about a recent Mayan art find in Guatemala: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/maya-art-calendar-vin

The art found in this cave served two purposes: arts/aesthetic as well as a astronomical/calendar piece for the people to use. 

Another Mayan Stela

I would suggest coming to the Mayan exhibit at the Museum of Man. While it was very small, it was very interesting and educational.

Bibliography:

Calendar Predictions, Mayan. "Mayan Calendar Predictions." Mayan Calendar Predictions RSS. Mayan Calendar Predictions, 8 Jan. 2011. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://www.mayancalendarpredictions.net/tag/mayan-solar-calendar/>.

"Maya." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/maya>.

"Maya Civilization." Civilization.ca. Canadian Museum of History, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/civil/maya/mmc02eng.shtml>.

"Maya: Heart of Sky, Heart of Earth." Museum of Man. San Diego Museum of Man, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://www.museumofman.org/exhibit/maya-heart-sky-heart-earth>.

"Mayan Pyramid." Math2033 RSS. University of Arkansas, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://math2033.uark.edu/wiki/index.php/Mayan_Pyramid>.

"Mysterious Maya Calendar & Mural Uncovered." Mysterious Maya Calendar & Mural Uncovered. National Geographic, 10 May 2012. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. <http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/maya-art-calendar-vin>.

Event 2: Gems and Minerals exhibit at the Natural History Museum

Gem and Mineral Hall at Natural History Museum LA:

My ticket/map

Me at the museum 

For my second event, I decided to go to the Natural History Museum to see the Gem and Minerals hall. I thought that it would be very interesting to see how humans have "beautified"gems and minerals into jewelry, art pieces, and other materials. In the Gem and Minerals hall, they have a large display of different gems and minerals. They also have different objects, such as vases, bowls, and sculptures, that are all made out of different gems and minerals. Then, in a vaulted room, there are different cuts of diamonds and other precious stones, along with donated jewelry. The most interesting part of the exhibit is that they had displays of unfinished/uncut/unpolished pieces as well as polished ones. Seeing both of these versions of the same gem/mineral allowed me to see how we can physically alter the appearance of something in order to create something new.

I took a lot of photos at this event, and here are my favorites:

Gold, Barite and Dioptase

Rhodocrosite, Sphaerocobaltite and Smithsonite

Silver, Copper, Gypsum (Selenite), and Amethyst Quartz

Pyrite 

Hematite, Dioptase, and Magnatite

Fluorite Vases and Bowl 

Topaz and Phenarite polished/cut Gems

Ruby corundum eagle, Tourmaline Bird Brooch,
Quartz frog, and Aquamarine Bird

Morganite Carving of King Tut

According to the dictionary, a mineral is "any of a class of substances occurring in nature, usually comprising inorganic substances, as quartz or feldspar, of definite chemical composition and usually of definite crystal structure, but sometimes also including rocks formed by these substances as well as certain natural products of organic origin, as asphalt or coal"(Dictionary.com). A gem is "a cut and polished precious stone or pearl fine enough for use in jewelry" (Dictionary.com). The minerals are often the precursors for the gems, and to see their transformation is amazing.

For example, an unpolished vs. polished diamond:

The diamond on the right does not look anything like the the diamond on the left. However, they are the same material, however the one on the right is polished and cut. Polishing and cutting diamonds or another minerals requires a lot of technology and skilled technician. Similar to a science experiment, the technicians and designers mix and match the jewels to create new jewelry pieces for people to wear. 



The process of polishing gems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zS6XFHFl9Q
Even though this video is a commercial, it shows how through the use of machinery you can polish a rough stone into something beautiful.

I also found another video on how to polish a geode. Once again, by using technology we can change the look of the original piece in order to make it beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C4IGmGYvdU

I would suggest going to the Natural History Museum. There are many interesting exhibits, and the Gem and Minerals one is no exception.

Bibliography:
"Gem." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2014. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gem?s=t>.
Johnson, Mark. "Appreciating the True Beauty of Rough Diamonds."Serendipity Diamonds Blog. Serendipity Diamonds, 13 Sept. 2013. Web. 01 Aug. 2014. <http://www.serendipitydiamonds.com/blog/the-true-beauty-of-rough-diamonds/>.
Legend, Rockpick, Co. "How To Polish A Geode - Lapidary Information Tutorial." YouTube. YouTube, 22 May 2013. Web. 01 Aug. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C4IGmGYvdU>.
"Mineral." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2014. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mineral?s=t>.
School, Jewel. "How to Polish Gemstones with the Jool Tool." YouTube. YouTube, 1 Aug. 2012. Web. 01 Aug. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zS6XFHFl9Q>.