Week 1: Two Cultures

Week 1: Two Cultures 
April 9, 2017 
Another common theme dividing the left and right brains.
Creativity vs. Science
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The concept that art and science exist in two mutually exclusive spheres has been a pervasive theme not only in society in general; and yet, the opposite is actually true both in a broader context but also in my own experiences. While I have seen the symbiotic relationship between the two, I personally didn’t recognize that the two are inextricably linked until more recently, when I began my time at university and began to think more critically about the world and how things work in relation to each other. Author CP Snow addresses society’s perception of the existence of a divide in the intellectual atmosphere of society - that between science and art, the “two cultures.” Up until I began studying at UCLA, I too held this belief that the two were separate from each other. However, as a Communication Studies major, I have seen firsthand the interaction between these two cultures in that the social sciences are in themselves actual sciences. Yet they intertwine science with the art of applying science to society for the improvement of the human condition. Thus, even within academia, and even though there is seems to be a stark divide between “north” and “south” campus, the two coexist and work together to form the ideas we that we study in order to affect the world.


The literal divide between "north" and "south" campus at UCLA, between art and science.

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The emergence of a third culture, according to Kelly (p. 992), arises from the link amongst the trifecta of art, science, and technology (Vesna, 121) is even more apparent in my own experiences, especially as someone who seriously partook in the arts throughout my adolescence. Growing up I played the piano competitively for 10 years, mastering not only the art of the music, but also the science and technique behind these masterpieces - the counting, the rhythm, the speed, the precision. Furthermore, I was passionate about drawing and eventually began to work in graphic design, which is the epitome of linking these two cultures together to create a masterpiece. As someone who now has a passion for the betterment of my community, school, and peers, I believe my understanding of how to combine these two cultures will help me in endeavors and in the work I create as a means of achieving my goals.



References

"John Brockman: Matchmaking with science and art." Interview by Duncan Graham-Rowe. Wired UK. N.p., 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2017.

Kelly, Kevin. "The third culture." Science 279.5353 (1998): 992-993.

Snow, Charles Percy. The two cultures and the scientific revolution: The Rede Lecture, 1959. University Press, 1959.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a third culture: being in between." Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-125.
Wilson, Stephen. "Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology." College Art Association Meetings. 2000, New York City. 9 Apr. 2017. Lecture.

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 12, 2017 at 8:38 PM

    I can relate to connecting the two cultures together through your studies. As an IDS and an environmental geography major I believe the social sciences are in fact science. My dad was a graphic designer when I was growing up, so I became interested in expressing art through technology as well. Being a communications major I can see how you are part of both worlds, in order to make the world a better place. I appreciate how you added the image of "STEAM" because the acronym is being used more these days, but I have only heard of the reference recently. The "third culture" is arising through majors like ours.

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