Event #1: Museum of Jurassic Technology

My time at the Museum of Jurassic Technology was an interesting one. Excited and curious as I can be, I was unaware of what I might find in a place like this. I was surprised I encountered such unusual artifacts at this museum. I took the words "jurassic technology" quite literally and thought this museum was about old technological artifacts but it was much more than that. There were a couple artifacts that I really enjoyed and found to be out of the ordinary. Henry Dalton's micromosaic relics were something I have never encountered before that amazed me. This was Dalton's way of combining his interest microscopy and passion for science. The artwork that was put into it, required patience, precision, and definitely talent. These microscopic works of art were just mind-blowing because to the naked eye, it looked like damaged slides but it was more than that. This made me think back to week 3's assignment on industrialization. Industrialization has tainted the purity of what true art is and shifted our beliefs to a new meaning of art, but visiting a museum reassures you that some people still care and admire for such divine artifacts. A museums purpose is to preserve what is now considered rare, creative historical pieces of art. As Benjamin Walker said, "the presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity".
Micromosaics of Henry Dalton
The Decaying Dice was an interesting read for me. Rick Jay explained his journey through his experience and creation of the celluloid dice. Celluloid a plastic that is quite resistant and we usually see this in move strips. The creation of celluloid and how easy it is to handle makes up for a versatile substance. This reminds me of art and how it is quite the experiment when first starting but solid product after finishing. A combination of both science as an approach to an artistic exploration forms a priceless result. 
Decaying Dice
My experience and the Museum of Jurassic Technology has been an indescribable one. With the diverse abundance of artifacts, I was able to observe and read about, they will be of great help during my midterm. Artifacts I was able to look at, contained either mathematical, artistic, scientific, and technological value in them. As a student and only five dollars, I would highly recommend this museum because it is not the usual museum you experience but a very unique one. I think I was very surprised and a tat confused after my visit to the museum but that is the beauty of it. If your head was not filled with questions after your visit, you must either be a genius or have lived in another generation. 


References:
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

The Life and Work of Henry Dalton, www.mjt.org/exhibits/dalton/dalton.html.

Rotten Luck, www.mjt.org/exhibits/rickyjay/rjay.html.

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