Week 4: MedTech & Art

Two aspects of human nature that I would have never assumed would actually be very connected is medicine and art. Specifically, Dr. Vesna proposes that X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans alike are essentially forms of art that depict the raw human form exactly the way it is. These types of technology allow us to view and diagnose certain conditions simply by creating a very detailed image, or art form, of the desired part of the human body. This medical technology's ability to create art for humans to interpret and analyze has become such a crucial part of medicine. In fact, being part of the Sports Medicine Program here at UCLA, I was able to view an MRI image of an athlete's elbow because of a suspected condition. The image directly displayed exactly what was wrong with the athlete, unlike any other test or the naked eye could. 

(MRI scan of the entire human body / 

Taken from: “MRI / MRA .” AI3 Advanced Imaging and Interventional Institute, ai3web.com/mri-clearwater/.)

Another direct way that medical technology can be seen as a form of art is the procedure of plastic surgery. Many times society places certain beauty standards on people and one way to fix the way you look is through plastic surgery. Essentially, it's a form of art that doctors use to alter the way someone looks and make them look more "aesthetically pleasing." For example, in lecture, an artist named Orlan is mentioned, as she underwent numerous plastic surgery procedures to attain this "beauty." In that sense, plastic surgery can be seen as a work of art. 

(An image of what plastic surgery would look like / 

Taken from: Berman, Nat. “The 20 Richest Plastic Surgeons in the World.” Money Inc, Money Inc, 7 Sept. 2017, moneyinc.com/20-richest-plastic-surgeons-world/.)

Ultimately, I believe that anatomy, which is essentially the study of the human body, is a study that is not only is the groundwork for medicine, but also heavily relies on art and technology as well. Whether it's through very artistic drawings or representations of the human body or apps that lay out the workings of the human in very intricate detail, anatomy is heavily integrated with art and technology. 

(A drawing of the human anatomy / 

Taken from: Maniac, Vladimyr. “Human Anatomy.” Pinterest, 21 Jan. 2016, www.pinterest.com/pin/494129390345897835/.)

References

Kurt, Engin, et al. “An Overview of the Technologies Used for Anatomy Education in Terms of Medical History.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Elsevier, 14 Dec. 2013, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813037592.

Lam, Peter. “MRI Scans: All You Need To Know.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 4 Jan. 2017, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146309.php.

Leddy, Siobhan. “How ORLAN Turned Plastic Surgery into Feminist Art.” Artsy, 7 Aug. 2017, www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-70-body-modification-artist-orlan-reinventing.

Poulos, Stanley. “10 Facts About Plastic Surgery You Didn't Know.” Plastic Surgery Specialists, 21 Sept. 2015, www.psspecialists.com/breast-augmentation/10-facts-about-plastic-surgery-you-didnt-know/.

Vesna, Victoria. Medicine Body Lecture. Video. 26 Oct 2012.