Event: Art|Sci
Eco-centric Art+Science Week | Workshops with Linda Weintraub
Artist: Linda Weintraub
Location: UCLA Art|Sci Gallery
California NanoSystems
Institute
Date: 19 April 2017
Time: 4:00 - 5:00pm
Linda Weintraub is well known for
her efforts in exposing a broad range of audiences to contemporary
art and new ideas. She’s an educator, artist, and
author who believes that today environmental
consciousness plays a significant role in contemporary art.
Her workshop introduced me to the idea of
Neo-materialism and Neo-materialists for the first time. As she explained,
Neo-materialists have two major arguments:1)They believe that digital age and
virtual world have distanced us from encountering with real physical materials
and the environment, and 2) they assert that mass production has taken away the
essential element of life and experience, the element of wonder and
excitement.
I
found these ideas in high correlation to what we learned this week. We studied the effects of industrialization on
art and I elaborate on this topic in my previous blog post. As we learned, many,
including Walter Benjamin, believe that industrialization and mass production have
destructed originality and uniqueness of artworks, or in other words they have
killed aura and authenticity of the art. Although I agreed with some of their
points, as I mentioned before, I thought technology has had its positive
impacts on art.
But
when Linda discussed these ideas again, and exposed us to her exhibition in the
workshop, I came to agree more with Benjamin or others with similar arguments. There
were 5 small circles and a bigger one, each associated with one of our five senses,
in the room. Each circle held some boxes
that contained elements of the woods, (e.g. wild mushrooms) and they had instructions on their
cover. I examined a few circles, and I was amazed by what I could only figure
out with my sensations. I needed not a single technology to help me realize
which ground was rough, what shape a pinecone had, or which mushroom smelled like sulfur! The
most interesting discovery, however, was about myself. I realized which sensation
was the strongest in me. My sense of touching could tell me way more than what
my eyes, or nose could even tell. Also, I
was amazed by the feeling of wonder that was running through my veins. I was
totally absorbed! When my eyes were closed, as the instruction said, and I was
touching all the pinecones my head was full of questions and I was restless to open
my eyes and see what I was feeling.
After all, I understood the objections that were brought up by the Neo-materialists much better, and the need for such activism. Especially, as someone whose background is in engineering, I believe I should be well aware of the deficiencies of the technology. Technology is lifeless, and therefore, one must not rely on it solely if he/she wishes to experience the life fully. So, I would definitely recommend this event to all of you who don’t get to experience natural environment as much, and those of you who wish to experience something different and amazing.
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