Week 4: Medicine + Tech + Art

            Medical practices and human anatomy-based education have drastically shaped art as we know it today. The first major influence of art's relationship with human anatomy can be found within the Hippocratic Oath- one must preserve and respect the beauty of the dead. This respect for preserving human remains began to enlighten scientists and researchers around the world to explore shaping the lives of those who have experienced unfortunate catastrophes such as war and disease. The introduction of human dissection and other related procedures first allowed researchers and artists to document and better understand the development of the human body. The father of Human Anatomy, Andreas Vesalius, created a foundational text titled, "Gray's Anatomy" which put human anatomy in the media spotlight. His work, often referred to as the doctor "bible", is a collection of medical procedures, photographs, detailed descriptions, etc that provide and educate medical providers and workers on the basics of human anatomy. Additionally, his work would go on to influence the founders of both the CAT scan and MRI.

            An artist that truly captures the relationship between both medicine/and human anatomy is Gunther von Hagens in his art installation called Body Worlds. Body Worlds captures humans, animals, and other living things doing a variety of day-to-day activities that allow visitors to see how the inner workings of the human bodywork. I visited one of his exhibitions in New York a few years ago and it was absolutely breathtaking to see. The photo below is an example of a man playing the saxophone for presumable concertgoers.

            A rather controversial artist that captures the relationship between medicine/anatomy and art is the artist by the name of Orlan. Orlan's most famous work gathers a variety of prominent paintings' most sought-after anatomical features and pieces them all together onto one art piece. It's not everyone's cup of tea but that is what makes art, art. Always being controversial.

            After researching more about the relationship between medicine/human anatomy and art in this week's lesson, I have truly gained a level of respect for those who preserve human remains and have found an appreciation for celebrating death by creating art installations for people to see around the world.

Works Cited

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.

Corwin, William. “Truth in the Visual Arts Skepticism in the Work of Ellen K. Levy and Patricia Olynyk.” The Brooklyn Rail, 6 Apr. 2016, https://brooklynrail.org/2016/04/artseen/truth-in-the-visual-arts.

David, Bruno. “The Mutable Archive.” Meer, 15 Feb. 2020, https://www.meer.com/en/61040-the-mutable-archive?fbclid=IwAR0_qOll845ATuTk1rBfdyckTENodkl37yP7PFfUSC-AFpcRDZwl8xgB2nE.

“De Humani Corporis Fabrica (Of the Structure of the Human Body).” Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/358129.

Nerman, Danielle. “Body Worlds 'Coupling' Specimen Makes Canada and U.S. Debut in Calgary | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 25 May 2016, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/body-worlds-couple-sex-1.3597613.

Nirula, Divvya. Orlan : Performance Art & Identity - Dsarttakes. https://dsarttakes.com/orlan-performance-art-and-identity/.

Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/.

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine + Art." University of California, Los Angeles, 18 Apr. 2022, Los Angeles, CA. Lecture

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