The art of Engineering; the engineering of Art

I recently “became one” with a work of art devised by multimedia artist Mariko Mori. The teardrop-shaped structure titled Wave UFO is large enough to hold three travelers on a journey that is a fusion of art, architecture, and technology. I was intrigued by the device because it is the first such display that I am aware of that uses technology for more than just window dressing. In an age that equates electronic art with computer graphics, it is a revelation to experience this solid, formidable, art-as-hardware creation. The technology involved isn't rocket science–nonetheless, as I ascended the stairway, leaned into my reclining seat, was shown the panic button, and heard the access port slowly close, I had the definite impression that it was. Electrodes taped to my temples and those of two fellow travelers sampled our brain activity as an animation sequence lifted us out of our everyday frame of reference.

Technology's pervasive influence on modern life
is reflected in a work of art that ties engineering to aesthetics. At some point in the journey, my brainwaves–color coded to differentiate beta, alpha, theta waves, and body movements–were projected onto the vehicle's domed ceiling. I could look directly at my own projections and note those of my companions with my peripheral vision. Biofeedback has been around for what seems like ages–an EE would not be impressed with the inner workings of this device. However, I was truly impressed by honest engineering effort used in a work of art, and it allowed me to ponder the connection between art and engineering. The Myers-Briggs personality profile used by our HR gurus describes both artists and engineers as introverted realists differentiated by the methods they use to gather information and to draw conclusions. What that means to me is that both groups see the world as it is and create new realities out of the materials at hand, with engineers being perhaps a bit more focused. There exists a juncture where engineering isn't quite so formulaic and where art isn't quite so obscure–where both combine to show the connection between thought and feeling that is so essential to both disciplines. That's what I saw as I sat in the darkness and stared at my brainwaves painting pretty pictures on the overhead dome of Wave UFO . Gary Evan Jensen, Editor