WEEK 4: MedTech + Art

Before this week’s lecture, I had not really given much thought to the intersection of art and medicine. When one thinks of art, one usually does not think about the medical field. However, now I have a completely different appreciation for what medical technology can do for art.

It is fascinating to think that initially dissecting humans was the only way of studying the human anatomy. However today, we have made so much technological progress that X-rays allow us to see what goes on inside the human body. The aesthetic quality of X-rays was the subject of “History’s Shadow,” an exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences in September 2012. Instead of taking X-rays of broken bones and rotting teeth, photographer David Maisel applied an artist’s touch to the clinical technology, capturing ghostlike, black-and-white renderings of classical sculptures.

The idea of plastic surgery can also be discussed when thinking about the intersection of art and medicine. Plastic surgeons go through years of training to understand anatomy, medicine and health procedures, but more than others in the medical field, their practice is inextricably linked to aesthetics. A group of soon-to-be plastic surgeons at the University of Lincoln are supplementing their medical expertise with a course that involves drawing and sculpting. All this goes to highlight how important aesthetic principles and aesthetic judgments are in surgical practice.

In the TEDx talk, Diane Gromala talks about “virtual reality,” which helps to reduce the pain of wound care and other hospital procedures. Clinical trials show dramatic reductions in pain, plus patients report feeling less anxious when they have VR to help them through the painful procedure. Thus we see that VR, virtual video games, successfully changes perceptions of pain.

Today there are a number of medical television shows like Grey’s Anatomy, E.R., etc. that focus on the fictional lives of surgeons, doctors and interns. These shows, tastefully and artistically, take viewers into the world of medicine and try to give people a glimpse of what it means to be a professional in the medical field.

Works Cited:

“Art and Plastic Surgery Go Together on University Curriculum.” The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 18 May 2012. Web. 25 April 2015.

"Controlling Pain Without Drugs." Firsthand Technology. Web. 25 April 2015.

Fard, Maggie. “Creating Art from Medical X-rays: ‘The Mob Doctor’ Premieres on Fox.” The Washington Post. 10 September 2012. Web. 25 April 2015.

Glatter, Robert. “Can Studying Art Help Medical Students Become Better Doctors?” Forbes. 20 October 2013. Web. 25 April 2015.

Gromala, Diane. “Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty.” Online video. YouTube. TEDx Talks, 7 December 2011. Web. 25 April 2015.