Week 4: Medicine and Art

Diagnosing the Relationship: Medicine and Art

This week’s topic was the interplay of the fields of medicine and art. Medicine cannot be discussed without the role technology has had in its progression and based on last week’s discussions we must include technology in art’s role too. The human body is the point of intersection of these three topics, and throughout history, and even today, we have strived to learn as much about it as we can however possible. As mentioned in professor Vesna’s lectures, as far back as In ancient Egypt and Greece, study of anatomy was conducted through dissection as it was the only way of actually observing the inner body.

Over time, owing to developments in understanding of technology, and the applications of electricity, sound, and radiations, we have new tools like X-rays, CAT scans, and MRIs to observe the body in a non-invasive manner. I really enjoyed reading Casini’s take on the MRI as a portrait because it is a view into how artistic culture reacted to technological progress, and it deals with the human body and viewing of ourselves, which are deeply personal things to anyone. A quote from Röntgen’s wife (“I have seen my death”) when she got her hand X-rayed is another example of a very raw human reaction to a new, personally invasive technological revelation. 

The ingenuity of human beings in our ability to find art and application in anything never ceases to amaze me. The development of plastic surgery, motivated by a need to save people from permanent disfigurement, was made possible by a clearer understanding of the body, and shapes and structures of our materials. Orlan’s presentation of bodily control and modification speaks powerfully about the ideas and perceptions surrounding beauty, identity, and how empowered we are with them. Going forward, I imagine each of these fields will complement each other as they scale new heights.

 

Sources;

 

“Orlan - Carnal Art (2001) Documentary.” YouTube, 13 Mar. 2011, youtu.be/no_66MGu0Oo.

 

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.” Lecture. Medicine pt3 . 

 

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts.” Configurations, vol. 19, 2011, pp. 73-99.

Ingber, D.E. (1998). The Architecture of life. New York.

Meier, A. (2017, May 1). "I have seen my death": The first X-ray photograph. Hyperallergic. Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://hyperallergic.com/375426/i-have-seen-my-death-the-first-x-ray-photograph/