Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art
Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art
This week lecture has been one of the most surprising to me because I would have never though about making the connection between medicine and art. Medicine only made me think about science and math but after the previous lectures about the connection of math and science to art it made me see where this connection could be made. In Professor's Vesna's lecture, it made me think of the show Grey's Anatomy. The entertainment field is a form of art but according to Ellen Pompeo there was not much hope for a medical serious on TV as they released the first season; now this show has been airing for 18 seasons.
Grey's Anatomy captured the COVID-19 pandemic in its 17th season, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiNIFDZb6BI&t=2s
It has never occurred to me to think of X-rays and MRI's as a form of art because I only associated it to medicine. However, according to Casini's article, it allowed me to see how MRI's are able to depict a true image on oneself even with injuries or any "damage" that may be present. The human body is an intricate piece of art because every person has their own unique characteristics. Hence, MRI's are able to depict the differences through the sensors that are present.
https://www.independentimaging.com/benefits-of-getting-an-mri/
Virgil Wong's TedTalk on his app development of a Medical Avatar made me see the power that art is able to have. Through his app, people are able to express empathy to others that may be experiencing the same symptoms as them but also keep into account how they are feeling. Being sick or in a severe health condition can be challenging for one to communicate which is why people tend to not speak about but Wong was able to develop a healthy community through the use of technology. His motivation was his mom who told him how art is the reason one lives. Personally, I am always terrified to go into a doctors office because I feel like if there is something wrong, then I would feel alone; however, Wong's app proves otherwise as he allows for an access to a connection where other people deal with the same conditions.
Virgil Wong explaining the concept of his Medical Avatar, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Uab4Dq0j0
Citations:
1. Grey's Anatomy Season 17 "OMG" Trailer (HD ... - Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiNIFDZb6BI.
2. Benefits of getting an MRI. Independent Imaging. (2019, November 8). Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://www.independentimaging.com/benefits-of-getting-an-mri/
3. 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
4. Artist + digital technologist transforming human health. Virgil Wong. (2022, April 3). Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://www.virgilwong.com/
5. Best of ted: Art + visualization at the ... - youtube.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Uab4Dq0j0
6. Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt1.” Medicine + Technology + Art | Lectures. 22 Apr. 2022.
Hi Ashlyn!
ReplyDeleteI too shared a similar sentiment as you of not totally realizing the extent to which medicine and art were intermingled, despite being an avid watcher of Grey's Anatomy. I really loved that you also thought to incorporate the aspect of such a groundbreaking program, like Grey's, as a digital art form to your blog. Moreover, your comment about the human body being an intricate piece of art really resonates with me, as well as the material we learned this week. This truly applies when thinking of the works of the early Renaissance and how artists of the time chose to depict the human body and our anatomy. And as you explained, MRI's are such a wonderful tool to further explore the nature of our bodies and the art it harbors through the use of technology. Overall, really great work and I loved how you were able to incorporate components of our lecture content like Wong's TEDTalk to discuss your own experiences with medicine, art, and technology.