Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

This week we learned more about medicine and technology as they have influenced art. From my own personal experience, I have never really realized how much medicine and technology has influenced art or the make up of visuals. However, after giving more thought to it, I have realized that when I've gone to the dentist, I have gotten x-rays on all of my teeth. After watching professor's lecture where she describes x-rays and MRI's as a way for artist to compile scans of the human body (Vesna, 2022), I realize the importance of 3D visuals in order for us to see what's occurring inside our bodies. 

                             

                                   “Dental X-Rays: Weighing the Risks and Benefits:..."

Furthermore, "MRI images can become portraits and self-portraits -- and by doing so, they can look back at us" (Casini, 99). In her text regarding magnetic resonance imagine, Casini regards MRI's as mirror and portraits of one's self (which they are). She discusses how some artists are interested in getting MRI's done of themselves as the process aids in the construction of their identity.  An example of an MRI artist is Angela Palmer, who creates detailed 3D works of CT and MRI scans using "multiple sheets of vertically layered glass" (Colossal, 2017). 

                                        Self Portrait Double - “Angela Palmer: Artist: Portraits.”  

        In relation to utilizing art as a way to view the human body and examine individuals medically, Virgil Wong and Katie McCurdy have developed an IPaD application to track and develop more knowledge over patients symptoms over time. This technology then enables Wong and McCurdy to develop a medical avatar in which patients' symptom data is visualized and pin-pointed. To me, this technological way of tracking and looking at data through a visual description is the epitome of medicine, technology, and art. Technology should be introduced in order to produce further medical advances and this application encompasses that. Further, art is exemplified as advancing medicine technology through the visuals that the application produces in order to examine symptoms. 

                                              "Artist + Digital Technologist Transforming Human Health"

Another topic that peaked my interest this week is the concept of tensegrity. Ingber describes tensegrity as the idea that our systems organically self structure in the shapes of "hexagon, pengtagons, and spirals.." in response to tension and pressure (Ingber, 1997). This idea of self structuring is fascinating to me as I never really thought that within every one of us, there are tiny molecular-sized shapes that are part of our genetic make-up (but then I remembered DNA haha). 

                                         

Our Genetic Makeup 

“Angela Palmer: Artist: Portraits.” Angelapalmer, https://www.angelaspalmer.com/portrait?lightbox=dataItem-iwbaqr6x2.

“Artist + Digital Technologist Transforming Human Health.” Virgil Wong, 3 Apr. 2022, https://www.virgilwong.com/.

“Brent Cornell.” BioNinja, https://ib.bioninja.com.au/standard-level/topic-2-molecular-biology/21-molecules-to-metabolism/organic-compounds.html.

Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." Ca’ Foscari Università di Venezia. Print.

“Dental X-Rays: Weighing the Risks and Benefits: Angela Evanson, DDS in Parker, Co Dentist: (720) 409-0008: 80134.” Angela S. Evanson, DDS. Dentist in Parker, CO, 22 Aug. 2017, https://www.evansondds.com/dental-x-rays-weighing-the-risks-and-benefits/

Ingber, Donald. “The Architecture of Life.” The Scientific American, 1997, pp. 48-57.

“Layered MRI Self-Portraits Engraved in Glass Sheets by Angela Palmer.” Colossal, 10 June 2017, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/10/layered-mri-self-portraits-engraved-in-glass-sheets-by-angela-palmer/. 

“Week 4 Lecture Recording.” Victoria Vesna, 19 Apr. 2022, cole2.uconline.edu/courses/1669262/pages/week-4-lecture-recording?module_item_id=78408471.