Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Event 1 - Griffith Observatory

I visited the Griffith Observatory, and noticed a great deal of the two cultures concept present. What stood out to me the most was the exhibit right when you enter the building, Foucault Pendulum. This is a giant swinging pendulum that tells the time. Directly above is a mural of mythological stories that adds to the art that is the pendulum.

The two cultures are seen here clearly: the science aspect is directly visible in that the pendulum is using the Earth’s rotation and gravitational pull that is making the pendulum work. But the art work above the piece as well as the elegant design of the pendulum itself shows the creative art side in the exhibit. The two cultures elegantly come together with the sleek design of the gun metal ball at the end of the pendulum, as it slowly swings responding to the Earth’s movement. C.P. Snow talks about how the two cultures merge to become a third culture and this is essentially what the whole Griffith Observatory museum is an example of. 



I do recommend going to see this exhibit, but the whole museum as well. You will experience the beauty as art that there is in the world through all of the scientific revelations throughout the many years. The premises is a work of art in itself, sitting at the top of the Hollywood Hills, overlooking Los Angeles and the Hollywood Sign. This exhibit specifically is an immersion into the third culture, not only the design of the Foucault Pendulum but the breathtaking artwork surrounding the scientific revelation brings together the whole exhibit. 








Works Cited

Angela Soderquist. 2016. Photograph. Los Angeles, California 

"Foucault Pendulum." Griffith Observatory. Web. 01 May 2016. <http://griffithobservatory.org/exhibits/centralrotunda_foucaultpendulum.html>.


Snow, C. P. “The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution.” New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Web.

 Vesna, Victoria. "Week 1 View." UC Online. Web. 03 May 2016. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/484297/pages/unit-1-view?module_item_id=8599378>. 




No comments:

Post a Comment