MedTech+Art
It is important to understand that science and technology has greatly
impacted our modern day medicine. These medical technologies are traced back to
the Egyptians dissecting and preserving their mummies, and ancient India
discovering plastic surgery. Wilhelm Rontgen’s detection of x-rays and Raymond
Damadian’s invention of the MRI are some important advancements that have
impacted and benefited the medical world. The MRI is an examination used to
view the inside of the human body without cutting it open. It is “able to
detect diseased tissue or injury more accurately, safely, and efficiently than
any other medical imaging technique” (Bergman). Silvia Casini
acknowledges that an MRI allows scientists and artists to examine the unseen
and access to all parts of the body. By studying detailed MRI’s, artists are
then able to replicate the human body in various art forms.
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| MRI scan |
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| Orlan |
Plastic surgery was established during WWI because
surgery was necessary to treat soldiers who suffered with facial and head
injuries. Since technology has become so advanced individuals like Dean Kamen,
are able to construct and develop prosthetics that benefit others in need of an
artificial limb. In this case plastic surgery is viewed in a positive light,
but in other cases plastic surgery can be taken advantaged. Orlan is a lady
from France who performs surgical performances on other individuals as a form
of art. She uses specific features from other artist’s artwork; like the Mona
Lisa, and surgically replicates it on her face. Plastic surgery sends a
negative message to society because it defines beauty and perfection and
encourages people to alter their appearance to fit societies norms of
beauty. Plastic surgery has various purposes and functions and it has
greatly impacted our lives.
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| A prosthetic arm |
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| The Third Arm |
In Walter Benjamin’s essay The Work of Art in
the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” he states, “The history of every art
form shows critical epochs in which a certain art form aspires to effects which
could be fully obtained only with a changed technical standard, that is to say,
in a new art form” (1936). This statement is true for all types of art forms,
especially in the medical field because technology continues to advance and new
studies, devices and cures are produced along the way. Stelarc uses his body in
conjunction with a machine. He produced the third hand, which is a prosthetic
arm that receives electric signals from abdominal and leg muscle and is used as an
excess limb. It will be interesting to see what new advancements and inventions
will be generated over the next few years.
Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations Between
Science and Arts.” (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.
Benjamin, Walter. “The Wrok of Art in the Age
of Mechanical Reproduction”. (n.d): n. pag, Web 1936.
Bergman, Jerry. “Evidence
for Creation”. 2015,
www.icr.org/article/raymond-damadian-inventor-mri/. Accessed 26 April 2017.
Rose, Barbara. “Orlan: Is It
Art? Orlan and The Transgressive Act”. February 1993,
web.stanford.edu/class/history34q/readings/Orlan/Orlan2.html. Accessed 26 April
2017.
Vesna, Victoria.
“MedTech+Art.” Desma 9: Art, Science and Technology. Los Angeles, CA. April 9,
2012. Lecture.
I think it is really interesting how you have connected this week's materials on medical technologies with previous lectures on robotics. It can be thought provoking to think about how medical technologies are changing our bodies. The plastic surgeries you have discussed serve as a great example. If faces are part of our identities that we are born with and mark our uniqueness as various human beings, would plastic surgery make us more "artificial"? Furthermore, attaching machine limbs and inserting chips into our bodies are becoming more common, so are we losing our "aura," like Walter Benjamin would argue? Medical technologies such as cloning even stirs up more controversies. Therefore, I really look forward to new advances in this field and how artists or the public would view them.
ReplyDeleteI love that you drew connections between multiple readings. I think it's so fascinating how everything is connected to each other and relates to each other in multiple ways. It's so amazing to think and dwell on the fact that these medical marvels and advances are beautiful forms of art. I can't even begin to imagine how badly our lives would've been affected if such advances were not made.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how you connected all the readings and put them together on what you were trying to say, but the great thing about this is that they all connect. I highly agree with what you are saying about how science and technology have impacted society today. You can do so much amazing things. Technology is what we are in this generation now and it has impacted science significantly. For medical reasons, math, science, art, etc.If technology never advanced the way it is now we would be missing out on a lot of things.
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