Week
4: Medicine and Art
As
with all of the subjects covered so far, medicine has advanced from its
original study and use in art. Artists originally studied the human anatomy in
order to better represent people in their art. This eventually led to a better
understanding of the human body and more advanced ways of treating illnesses.
It would appear now that as medicine has advanced further, art is using medical
techniques in order to make a statement like with Eduardo Kac and Orlan.
Figure
1: Performance artist Orlan
Medicine
has allowed for the use of one's body as a canvas for art, whether it be
through plastic surgery or other forms of surgery and differentiation. Kevin
Warwick has turned himself into a canvas through the implantation of a computer
chip in his head that allows for him to control nearby appliances and even
communicate with his wife (kevinwarwick.org, 2015). This is similar in nature
to the addition of a third arm by Stelarc (stelarc.org, 2015). What is truly
encouraging about these pieces of performance art is that they have led to
advances in medicine and rehabilitation much like the initial study of the
human body for art.
Figure
2: Performance artist Stelarc
Our
society puts a remarkable weight on the importance of medicine, as shown by its
representation in popular art forms. For example, there are numerous drugs
invented in movies that can cure essentially any illness and solve society's
problems for us without putting in any of the necessary work. In the movie Lucy from 2014, the main character is
injected with a drug that over the course of a couple days turns her into a
superior being that bends time and space before consuming itself. Various other
examples exist showing drugs giving people seemingly impossible powers or
removing them from a harsh reality, like some drugs in today's world
(unrealitymag.com, 2014).
Figure
3: Screenshot from Lucy
Works
Cited
"Kevin Warwick - Home Page." Kevin
Warwick - Home Page. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.kevinwarwick.org/>.
"Stelarc // Third Hand." Stelarc //
Third Hand. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://stelarc.org/?catID=20265>.
"The Most
Memorable Fictional Drugs in Movies and Television." Unreality Mag.
14 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
<http://unrealitymag.com/movies/fictional-drugs-in-movies-and-television/>.