Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

I was very intrigued by this week’s topic, the relationship between medicine, art, and technology, as I am a student interested in a career in the medical field. Just like many other practices in the world, I would consider medicine an art, as it can include the expression of human creative skills and imagination. With the use of technological advances, medicine incorporates artistic aspects into many of its fields, as well as depends on art in medical animations and anatomical illustrations.

The work of Vesalius captures the beauty of the human body while also being anatomically accurate.

One of the first practices many people likely think of when considering the relationship between medicine and art is plastic surgery. It was interesting to me to discover that plastic surgery actually began about 4000 years ago in India, such as reconstructive surgery techniques. During World War I, there were many scientific and technological advances in warfare, and medicine advanced as well. Plastic surgery increased because of the vast number of opportunities due to injuries from war. Today, there is a wide variety of plastic surgeries, both cosmetic and medically-indicated. The story of the artist ORLAN shocked me, as she completes surgical performances as an art form to transform herself into elements from famous paintings of women. This medical procedures were used purely as a form of artistic expression.

ORLAN, an artist who uses plastic surgery as a form of artistic expression. 

Another aspect of the connection between medicine and art are projects such as Body Worlds, the Visible Human Project, and the Human Genome Project. I was especially interested in Body Worlds, which is a traveling exhibition of preserved human bodies and body parts that reveal inner anatomical structures. I think this would be a very unique exhibition to visit, and would allow someone like myself to explore and appreciate both the scientific and artistic sides of the exhibit. I also find interesting the increased technology that allows scientists to do research that has never been possible before, such as identifying and sequencing all the genes in human DNA. Not only can DNA sequencing tell an individual some of their medical history, but also can reveal ancestral history. As someone who appreciates art and hopes to be involved in medicine, I can definitely see the connection between the two in many aspects of my life.

Body Worlds' exhibition "The Walker", revealing the anatomy of the human body.

References:

Bright, Richard. “The Future of the Body with Performance Artist ORLAN.” Interalia Magazine, 27 Aug. 2015, www.interaliamag.org/blog/the-future-of-the-body-with-performance-artist-orlan/.

Sharp, Hal. “A Brief Essay on Anatomical Drawing.” Historical Collections at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/anatomical/briefessay/.

Selinsky, Page. “The Marvels of Body Worlds.” Penn Museum, Penn Museum, 1 Sept. 2016, www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/the-marvels-of-body-worlds/.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt1.” YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt3.” YouTube, 22 Apr. 2012, youtu.be/FIX-9mXd3Y4.