Event 2 - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

For my second event, I went to the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.  I spent some time in a section that focused on the History of LA and its development from a country town to a densely populated city.  The role of robotics and industrialization played a role in the growth and identity of LA.  In Week 3, Professor Desna referred to Henry Ford and the role he played in making cars affordable to the common man.  In his autobiography, My Life and Work, Ford stated, “I will build a car for the great multitude”.

While Ford implanted the assembly lines which put into action the coordination of small pieces, Hollywood played a role in promoting cars as a must have family item.  A box car used for films was located on site at the museum.  The image shows how directors could shoot their actors while running a movie displaying cars driving in the background.   This use of art was a successful medium in showing the world what it was like to drive in cars.

An artist with the need to implement assembly line techniques was Walt Disney.  One of his most famous creations, Mickey Mouse, was reproduced numerous times to make silent films.  The machine used in his productions was on display at the museum as well.

Walter Benjamin was correct when he stated, “Mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art”.  Just as with Hollywood’s affect on cars, Walt Disney was able to affect the perception of the masses through his films about an adventurous mouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjxVJwH_89o 

One last image that helped shape the landscape of LA was the machinery used to tap the oil fields in Los Angeles.  With industrialization came the rapid growth of technology needed to keep production moving in order to increase profits for companies.  An old fashioned machine drill that was used to tap the land was on display.  There is obviously a drastic difference between the technology seen in the 1900s and what we have today.  The need for oil was fueled by the growing demand of cars by the public.

SOURCES:

Ford, Henry. “My Life and Work – An Autobiography of Henry Ford”. 1922.

Vesna, Victoria. “Lecture Part 2. Robotics + Art.” Cole UC online. YouTube. Web. 9 Nov. 2013. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/63226/wiki/unit-3-view?module_item_id=970429>.

Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”. 1936.

Mickey Mouse – The Opry House (1929). YouTube, 14 Oct. 2007. Web. 9 Nov. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjxVJwH_89o>.

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