Blog 4: MedTech + Art

When approaching the subject of medical technology in conjunction to art, the concept of anatomy comes to mind, specifically that of humans. For ages, scientists and artists have been fascinated by the ins and outs of the human body, where one pursues to understand it and the other aspires to be inspired by it. Through this week’s lecture by Dr. Vesna and the readings, we have learned that modern medical technology development has allowed scientists and artists alike to better comprehend the complexities of the human anatomy, opening doors for novel development and new forms of expression.

A display at Gunther von Hagens' Body Worlds exhibit

Some artists have proposed that a better understanding of our bodies can lead to better understanding of ourselves, not just as humans, but as a society. When people can look past the clothes cladding our bodies, the hair on our heads, and the color of our skins, we notice that all humans are fundamentally the same underneath. From the number of bones and muscle groups in our body, to the count of chromosomes that define our genetics, everyone was defined to be essentially the same and is very difficult to distinguish between individuals in this regards. Work such as Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds achieves this through an exhibit of plastinated cadavers. His exhibit dissociates the bodies from the individual and focuses more on the “raw” expression of the subject, which viewers have often described to be somewhat grotesque, but also beautiful and fascinating at the same time. Artists such as Nick Veasey and Marilene Oliver have use this concept as well to create artwork that addresses cultural disputes to spread tolerance and compassion. Their work wouldn’t have been possible without medical developments such as X-Rays in the 19^th century, along with MRI and CT Scan technology developed in the 20^th century.

Artwork by Nick Veasey, capturing several subjects in a bus through X-ray imaging/

With our advance understanding in the human body, medical technology is continuing to develop with prosthetic devices, where things have evolved from a peg leg to fully functional mechanical hearts. For a long time, writers and artists have fantasized the concept of a being that is part man and part machine; a cyborg. Augment by machines and computers, a cyborg would be able to transcend both the mental and physical capabilities of normal humans. Although humanity is some distance away still from full-fledged cyborgs running around, a lot of the art revolving it imposes a philosophical question of where the threshold of being a man or a machine is drawn. With some sense of fear and urgency, the viewers can’t help but be reminded of the Hippocratic Oath, and whether this form of medical development will truly help all people, or lead to our demise.

An animated franchise called "Ghost In The Shell", which focuses on dystopian future where the integration between man and machine has gone too far.

References

Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." Configurations (2011): 73-99. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 30 Apr. 2017

"Ghost in the Shell Wiki." Ghost in the Shell Wiki. Fandom, 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Bodyworlds. Institute for Plastination, 2006. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Sandler, Greg. "Unexpectedly Good Integrations In Life: Artists Use Medical Technology For New Perspectives On Life." Unexpectedly Good Integrations in Life: Artists Use Medical Technology For New Perspectives On Life. Adeptia, 14 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.