Divergencies of Perception : The Possibilities of Merleau-Pontian Phenomenology in Analyses of Contemporary Art

Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961) has been known as the philosopher of painting. His interest in the theory of perception intertwined with the questions concerning the artist s perception, the experience of an artwork and the possible interpretations of the artwork. For him, aesthetics was not a sub-field of philosophy, and art was not simply a subject matter for the aesthetic experience, but a form of thinking. This study proposes an opening for a dialogue between Merleau-Pontian phenomenology and contemporary art. The thesis examines his phenomenology through certain works of contemporary art and presents readings of these artworks through his phenomenology. The thesis both shows the potentiality of a method, but also engages in the critical task of finding the possible limitations of his approach. The first part lays out the methodological and conceptual points of departure of Merleau-Ponty s phenomenological approach to perception as well as the features that determined his discussion on encountering art. Merleau-Ponty referred to the experience of perceiving art using the notion of seeing with (voir selon). He stressed a correlative reciprocity described in Eye and Mind (1961) as the switching of the roles of the visible and the painter. The choice of artworks is motivated by certain restrictions in the phenomenological readings of visual arts. The examined works include paintings by Tiina Mielonen, a photographic work by Christian Mayer, a film by Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno, and an installation by Monika Sosnowska. These works resonate with, and challenge, his phenomenological approach. The chapters with case studies take up different themes that are central to Merleau-Ponty s phenomenology: space, movement, time, and touch. All of the themes are interlinked with the examined artworks. There are also topics that reappear in the thesis, such as the notion of écart and the question of encountering the other. As Merleau-Ponty argued, the sphere of art has a particular capability to address our being in the world. The thesis presents an interpretation that emphasises the notion of écart, which refers to an experience of divergence or dispossession. The sudden dissociation, surprise or rupture that is needed in order for a meeting between the spectator and the artwork, or between two persons, to be possible. Further, the thesis suggests that through artworks it is possible to take into consideration the écart, the divergence, that defines our subjectivity.

Influence of water and thermal history on ion transport in lithium salt-succinonitrile plastic crystalline electrolytes

Important issues of water and thermal history affecting ion transport in a representative plastic crystalline lithium salt electrolyte: succinonitrile (SN)-lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) are discussed here. Ionic conductivity of electrolytes with high lithium salt amounts (similar to 1 M) in SN at a particular temperature is known to be influenced both by the trans-gauche isomerism and ion association (solvation), the two most important intrinsic parameters of the plastic solvent. In the present study both water and thermal history influence SN and result in enhancement of ionic conductivity of 1 M LiClO4-SN electrolyte. Systematic observations reveal that the presence of water in varying amounts promote ion-pair dissociation in the electrolyte. While trace amounts (approximate to 1-15 ppm) do not affect the trans-gauche isomerism of SN, the presence of water in large amounts (approximate to 5500 ppm) submerges the plasticity of SN. Subjugating the electrolyte to different thermal protocol resulted in enhancement of trans concentration only. This is an interesting observation as it demonstrates a simple and effective procedure involving utilization of an optimized set of external parameters to decouple solvation from trans-gauche isomerism. Observations from the ionic conductivity of various samples were accounted by changes in signature isomer and ion-association bands in the mid-IR regime and also from plastic to normal crystal transition temperature peak obtained from thermal studies. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pulsed laser deposition film of a donor-acceptor-donor polymer as possible active layer in devices

A molecule having a ketone group between two thiophene groups was synthesized. Presence of alternating electron donating and accepting moieties gives this material a donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) architecture. PolyDAD was synthesized from DAD monomer by oxidative polymerization. Device quality films of polyDAD were fabricated using pulsed laser deposition technique. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) data of both as synthesized and film indicate the material does not degrade during ablation. Optical band gap was determined to be about 1.45 eV. Four orders of magnitude increase in conductivity was observed from as synthesized to pulsed laser deposition (PLD) fabricated film of polyDAD. Annealing of polyDAD films increase conductivity, indicating better ordering of the molecules upon heating. Rectifying devices were fabricated from polyDAD, and preliminary results are discussed.

Critical exponent of the electrical conductivity in the paracoherence region of a thin film of YBa2Cu3O7?x

Critical exponent of the electrical conductivity in the paracoherence region (gamma) of the high temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) has been estimated for high quality thin film on ZrO2 substrate prepared by high pressure oxygen sputtering. High energy ion irradiation was carried out using 100 MeV O-16(7+) ions at liquid nitrogen to see the effects of disorder on the value of the exponent. The critical exponent from a value of about 2 to 1.62 upon irradiation. Studies were also carried film to see the effect of ageing and annealing.

Effect of surfactant dispersed in oil on interaction force between an oil film and a steel substrate in water

The oil phase, in an oil-in-water emulsion on a steel substrate, is strongly repelled by the substrate. The oil in this situation does not wet the steel and steel/steel friction is high. In this work we disperse anionic surfactants in an oil film and study the effect of this dispersion on the force of interaction between a silica colloid probe (AFM) carrying the oil film and a steel substrate in water. It is observed that when the surfactant is oil insoluble and the interaction time is short the strong entropic repulsion (without the surfactant) is replaced by a strong attraction. The steel on steel sliding friction in this case is low compared to that what is achieved when the surfactant is soluble in oil. The rationale underlying these interactions is explored here. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sputter deposited LiPON thin films from powder target as electrolyte for thin film battery applications

Lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) thin films as solid electrolytes were prepared by reactive radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering from Li3PO4 powder compact target. High deposition rates and ease of manufacturing powder target compared with conventional ceramic Li3PO4 targets offer flexibility in handling and reduce the cost associated. Rf power density varied from 1.7 Wcm(-2) to 3 Wcm(-2) and N-2 flow from 10 to 30 sccm for a fixed substrate to target distance of 4 cm for best ionic conductivity. The surface chemical analysis done by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed incorporation of nitrogen into the film as both triply, NE and doubly. Nd coordinated form. With increased presence of NE, ionic conductivity of LiPON was found to be increasing. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of LiPON films confirmed an ionic conductivity of 1.1 x 10(-6) Scm(-1) for optimum rf power and N-2 flow conditions. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Life-history of Neurospora intermedia in a sugar cane field

The life-history of Neurospora in nature has remained largely unknown. The present study attempts to remedy this. The following conclusions are based on observation of Neurospora on fire-scorched sugar cane in agricultural fields, and reconstruction experiments using a colour mutant to inoculate sugar cane burned in the laboratory. The fungus persists in soil as heat-resistant dormant ascospores. These are activated by a chemical(s) released into soil from the burnt substrate. The chief diffusible activator of ascospores is furfural and the germinating ascospores infect the scorched substrate. An invasive mycelium grows progressively upwards inside the juicy sugar cane and produces copious macroconidia externally through fire-induced openings formed in the plant tissue, or by the mechanical rupturing of the plant epidermal tissue by the mass of mycelium. The loose conidia are dispersed by wind and/or foraged by microfauna. It is suggested that the constant production of macroconidia, and their ready dispersal, serve a physiological role: to drain the substrate of minerals and soluble sugars, thereby creating nutritional conditions which stimulate sexual reproduction by the fungus. Sexual reproduction in the sugar-depleted cellulosic substrate occurs after macroconidiation has ceased totally and is favoured by the humid conditions prevailing during the monsoon rains. Profuse microconidiophores and protoperithecia are produced simultaneously in the pockets below the loosened epidermal tissue. Presumably protoperithecia are fertilized by microconidia which are possibly transmitted by nematodes active in the dead plant tissue. Mature perithecia release ascospores in situ which are passively liberated in the soil by the disintegration of the plant material and are, apparently, distributed by rain or irrigation water.

Demographic history of India and mtDNA-sequence diversity

The demographic history of India was examined by comparing mtDNA sequences obtained from members of three culturally divergent Indian subpopulations (endogamous caste groups). While an inferred tree revealed some clustering according to caste affiliation, there was no clear separation into three genetically distinct groups along caste lines. Comparison of pairwise nucleotide difference distributions, however, did indicate a difference in growth patterns between two of the castes. The Brahmin population appears to have undergone either a rapid expansion or steady growth. The low-ranking Mukri caste, however, may have either maintained a roughly constant population size or undergone multiple bottlenecks during that period. Comparison of the Indian sequences to those obtained from other populations, using a tree, revealed that the Indian sequences, along with ah other non-African samples, form a starlike cluster. This cluster may represent a major expansion, possibly originating in southern Asia, taking place at some point after modern humans initially left Africa.

Sputtered thin-film strain gauges for differential pressure measurement

A differential pressure transducer with sputtered gold films as strain gauges has been designed and fabricated. The construction details of the sensing element assembly are given. The details of the strain gauge film configuration employed and the thin-film deposition process are also presented. Information on the output characteristics of the differential pressure transducer such as effect of pressure cycles on output, thermal stability, bidirectional calibration results obtained and individual gauge stability is reported.

Electrical and Optical Properties of Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Copolymer Interfaces in Thin Film Devices

Two donor acceptor diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based copolymers (PDPP-BBT and TDPP-BBT) have been synthesized for their application in organic devices such as metal-insulator semiconductor (MIS) diodes and field-effect transistors (FETs). The semiconductor-dielectric interface was characterized by capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage methods. These measurements yield an interface trap density of 4.2 x 10(12) eV(-1) cm(-2) in TDPP-BBT and 3.5 x 10(12) eV(-1) cm(-2) in PDPP-BBT at the flat-band voltage. The FETs based on these spincoated DPP copolymers display p-channel behavior with hole mobilities of the order 10(-3) cm(2)/(V s). Light scattering studies from PDPP-BBT FETs show almost no change in the Raman spectrum after the devices are allowed to operate at a gate voltage, indicating that the FETs suffer minimal damage due to the metal-polymer contact or the application of an electric field. As a comparison Raman intensity profile from the channel-Au contact layer in pentacene FETs are presented, which show a distinct change before and after biasing.

Role of silver doping in oxygen incorporation of oxide thin film

A distinctive characteristic of silver in oxygen incorporation of oxide thin films during pulsed laser ablation has been discovered. Optical emission spectroscopy studies of laser-induced plume of Ag-target indicates the presence of AgO species whose concentration increases with an increase in oxygen partial pressure. The formation of AgO in laser-plume has been found to be very useful for the realization of high temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) and giant magnetoresistive La0.7MnO3-delta (LMO) thin films with dramatically superior quality if the target materials contained a small amount of silver. The improvement in the quality of these films is brought about by the supply of atomic oxygen to oxide lattices during their formation. This becomes possible due to the fact that Ag, after it is ablated with other constituent materials in the target, gets moderately oxidized in an oxygen atmosphere and the oxidized species dissociate back into Ag and nascent O at the substrate surface. The nascent oxygen is very highly reactive and is easily assimilated into the lattice of these compounds. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

Levitation of a drop over a film flow

A vertical jet of water impinging on a horizontal surface produces a radial film flow followed by a circular hydraulic jump. We report a phenomenon where fairly large (1 mi) drops of liquid levitate just upstream of the jump on a thin air layer between the drop and the film flow. We explain the phenomenon using lubrication theory. Bearing action both in the air film and the water film seems to be necessary to support large drops. Horizontal support is given to the drop by the hydraulic jump. A variety of drop shapes is observed depending on the volume of the drop and liquid properties. We show that interaction of the forces due to gravity, surface tension, viscosity and inertia produces these various shapes.