Week 4 | MedTech and Art | Asha Agarwal

What struck me most from this week’s material was the idea that medicine is an art and doctors are the artists (Vesna). Personally, I was intrigued by the novel stance of doctors and surgeons as artists, their scalpel being their tool of choice. What is so incredible about that is it redefines the stereotypical act of art and opens it up to the art and beauty in the intricate nature of the body and the brain. As shown below, the meticulous nature of the anatomical drawing becomes a work of art and draws observers in.



Fessenden, Marissa, et al. “Image of the Week: Body Oddities.” Scope, Logo Left ContentLogo Right Content 10,000+ Posts Scope Stanford University School of Medicine Blog, 21 Dec. 2017, https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2012/05/13/image-of-the-week-body-oddities/.


Even more interesting is people’s stance on the addition of medical technology into the artistry of medicine, such as MRIs and x-rays. I believe technology doesn’t take away from the art, but allows for even greater beauty and appreciation for the field. For example, MRIs allow artists to look intimately at a living and working brain, something indescribable and vastly important (Casini).



Miller, Hawken. “Artist with MS Finds Beauty, Individuality in MRI Brain Scans.” Multiple Sclerosis News Today, 29 Mar. 2022, https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.com/news-posts/2022/03/29/artist-multiple-sclerosis-finds-beauty-individuality-mri-brain-scans/.


In addition, the field of medical art and biological art are incredibly vast and life giving as well as pieces of art are created out of the manipulation or creating of life using biological materials (Kac). While this field must remain ethical in its methods, the art created is unlike any other in that human beings can connect to it on a whole different level, given their life is based on such biological processes. Every organism is built up of a million individual biological parts, and each of those pieces are intrinsically artistic in nature (Ingber).



Hagras, Mahmoud. “Bio-Art: Science and Art in Harmony.” SCIplanet, https://www.bibalex.org/SCIplanet/en/Article/Details.aspx?id=12455.


As discussed by Emily Watson, human anatomy and the field of medicine and body image is not only art itself, but can he used to produce amazing works, such as the jewelry pieces she sells (Watson). Medicine, technology, and art have been shown through this week to be intimately connected and encourage more from one another. I am enamored by the subject and hope you have been too!



References:

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts.” Configurations, vol. 19, no. 1, 2011, pp. 73–99., https://doi.org/10.1353/con.2011.0008.

Ingber, Donald E. “The Architecture of Life.” Scientific American, vol. 278, no. 1, 1998, pp. 48–57., https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0198-48.

Kac, Eduardo, et. al. What Bio Art Is: A Manifesto. 2017, http://www.ekac.org/manifesto_whatbioartis.html.

Vesna, Victoria. “Lecture Part 2” Medicine+Technology+Art | Lectures. https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/129896/pages/unit-4-view?module_item_id=4852512.

Watson, Emily. “Resume and Bio.” Metal & Enamel Jewelry, http://www.metalemily.com/pages/Resume.html.

Comments

  1. Alec GoodwinApril 25, 2022 at 6:15 PM

    Hey Asha,

    I absolutely loved your blog post-perfectly capturing lecture/reading requirements. I found you photos to be lovely as well. The most interesting take away from your blog is the ethical take away from art and human health.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Don EdlerApril 26, 2022 at 11:09 AM

    Test Comment

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