Week 4: Art and Medicine

As technological advances continue, so does the combination of medicine and art. Every day, there are surgeons who are changing the way people look designed to how the person wants. Without the medicine aspect, this art would not exist. You are able to change the person’s facial features or even body parts. Not only can you change the way someone looks, but now society so starting to double them. The art of cloning with advanced medicine that is an art as well. Being able to create one thing into two is superb. 

 

Another medical art I see in my life is elbow surgery. As a baseball player, a surgery called tommy john is very common on elbows. Luckily I have not had the surgery, but have had friends who have. The art and medical combination exists as the surgeon has to cut open two parts of the person. The elbow that needs the surgery and another part to take a tendon from. Most often it is the patella tendon used and inserted into the elbow. It takes great art to cut open two places in the body and sew them back up, leave the patient healthy. As Peter Tyson explains, "I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science and that warmth, symphony, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or chemists drug" (Tyson). 

Another piece of art I enjoy is the art of Nick Veasey. His objective in his artwork is to “counter the obsession with superficial appearance by using x-rays to strip back the layers and show what it is like under the surface” (Veasey). This frame of work really allows you to think about true beauty, as everyone and objects look the same behind an X-Ray.

Sources

"Cloning Is Real.. Celebrity Tells All." Secrets of the Fed. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.
http://secretsofthefed.com/cloning-is-real-celebrity-tells-all/

Jim Wehtje X-ray Photography for Art Prints| Stock | Assignment Featuring Flowers and Seashells. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

http://www.alternativephotos.com/

McLennan, Jim. "Everything You Wanted to Know about TJ Surgery." AZ Snake Pit. AZ Snake Pit, 28 Oct. 2009. Web. 01 May 2017.

http://www.azsnakepit.com/2009/10/28/1099055/everything-you-wanted-to-know 

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html

Veasey, Nick. "Artist Statement." Nick Veasey, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. http://www.nickveasey.com/about/4570199162

Zoltan, Próba. "Plastic Surgery in Budapest- Cosmetic Surgery Clinics."Budapestbylocals.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017
https://www.budapestbylocals.com/plastic-surgery-in-budapest.html

Event 1: Nature's True Art

(Im in the white jacket and red hat)

On Wednesday, April 23, 2017, I went to Linda Weintraub open workshop to hear her talk. She showed her passion for us human connecting with the world more naturally. She started her discussion by asking everyone in the room what percentage of our day we WERE NOT involving mass produced products. As most said 1-2%, my answer was 0% considering the clothes I wear are mass produced. Therefore, I always am connected to mass produced commodities. Her exhibit she put on for us was to allow us to connect with the natural world, really focusing on our 5 senses.

Above, you are able to see the map of the different stations that were on display. The first station I visited was the flavor and aroma station. The station asked me to smell the mushrooms inside of the box, and mark down any smell it reminded us of. I remember marking down how it reminded me of almonds. After moving on to the mass and weight sections, the box I grabbed was tough. It asked me to hold a piece of wood in one hand and in the other, hold the number of pennies I believed equaled that wood. My guestimate was 11 pennies, yet will never know how close I was. 

Skipping to the beauty station, I picked a box comparing cups and mushrooms. As you can see in the picture, the question was asking if I believed the cups or mushrooms were more beautiful. I personally thought the mushrooms were by far more beautiful. Considering the different shapes, sizes, and color of the mushroom, each was it own. This meaning each their own unique artistic quality.

After this exhibit, I reflected on the message it sent to me. When comparing natural vs unnatural objects, natural objects were by far more exciting and artistic in my eyes. Even though it may just be a feather or a pinecone, it has its own unique qualities to it that nature created. Not a human. So the final message sent to me was clear, nature is a clear artist and easily more beautiful then man made art.

Week 3: Art and Robotics

As the industrial revolution occurred, it created machines that were able to perform the same tasks that human labor would perform, but faster. These machines are referred to as "Robots" that are only progressing as technological advances increase, taking away more and more jobs. Professor Vesna stated in this week’s lecture that art has directly influenced the creation of new forms of technology. Although the industrial revolution took away human creativity and alienated workers from their work, it created mass production and the assembly line. As this industrial revolution has seemed to make the workforce easier, Walter Benjamin claims in Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction that "society has not been mature enough to incorporate technology." These machines were taken advantage of, leaving people at the top of the hierarchy taking advantage of lower class laborers.

As stated before, technological advances have increased. This meaning these robots are far more advanced then the mid 1900's. In the movie Benchwarmers, we see a robot take on what would be a simple task for a human. This rich dad shows off to his sons friends the ability of sandwich making of this robot. He is able to make any sandwich with any combination you want. Although this is a movie, there are robots who are able to create tasks for humans. This advancement could ultimately lead to laziness and obese of society. 

As the robots advance, humans have to remain in control. If society allows the robots to virtually dominate, jobs will continue to decrease. This effecting more and more families and unemployment rates increasing. As we humans believe creating life like robots is a positive in society, in years to come in can do more bad then good. 

Sources 

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Doug Jones - The Benchwarmers - Robot #7. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. http://www.thedougjonesexperience.com/benchwarmers~4.htm 

"INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION." INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ~. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. http://top5resources.blogspot.com/2014/05/industrial-revolution.html 

Tofel, Kevin C. "Why Texas Instruments and IRobot Are Working Together." Kevin C. Tofel. Gigaom, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. https://gigaom.com/2012/03/12/why-texas-instruments-and-irobot-are-working-together/ 

Vesna, Victoria. “Lecture Part 2.” Math + Art. 12 Oct. 2012. Lecture.