Art, Science + Technology
DMA9 Fall 2007, Section BArchive for November 14, 2007
Wk 6: Medical
water on frames
I’ve never felt as fragile as when my AP chemistry teacher described human beings as water-filled sacks attached to a frame. As weird as it is to think of human beings in such simple terms, it is certainly true. Like many other humans I am quite attached to my body and I’d like to think it is more than just bunch of watery sacks. Yet, more and more, technology allows us to change the human body. Pacemakers regulate the beatings of our hearts, plastic surgery reconstructes our faces, limbs are added and the list simply goes on and on. I find this both fascinating and terrifying, as most people probably do. It’s one thing to simply replace a lost limb with a prostetic, but to replace it with a perfectly-working leg grown from a petri dish is entirely something else. However, you cannot argue with the results. We are currently are just approximating the real thing with mechanical prostetics. In some ways, you’d think that synethic limbs and organs would be more appealing than mechanical prostetics. After all, mechanical things are certainly further away from the real thing.
the same thing applied to art
As art goes, I can’t say I appreciate performing plastic surgery on-stage. I like tattoos as a form of self-expression but am kind of weirded-out by someone vastly altering their face for the sake of their artwork. I suppose a certain someone did cut off their ear, but this feels like something else. I can see this being more popular in the future as techniques improve and it becomes more accepted in society. It certainly would be interesting to see how people change themselves 500 years from now. I certainly doubt that face-lifts and lypo-suction will be all the rage. Perhaps tentacles will be in style.
Medical Technologies
Consider technologies in a surgery room. Precision instruments, lighting, cameras, a subject… the only thing missing is a stage. But Intuitive Surgical Inc. added a new star to the show. They have brought about a new technology to take the highly complex stage of a surgeon even further. Their robot has made many procedures possible with minimal incisions. But its art truly comes into play when it is put to work. Its fusion of technology and humans is an art form because of the many levels that it combines the two.
The robot interacts with the patient in the same way that the surgeon would have. The robot is completing the procedures that may have been viewed as an art form when the scalpel or other instrument was in the humans hand. Also the surgeon is in control of the robot, so the robot can be viewed as one large instrument for art. Finally the view of the overall machine being used to produce art as a can be seen as a work in itself. The ability to integrate technology while “maintaining the same ‘look and feel’ of open surgery” according to Intuitive Surgical Inc.
But most people don’t regularly have surgeries that require or are able to use robots. But medical technology is still applied to the human body. It often has ethical issues related to its use. So artists and scientists alike are faced with the question how can the human body and medical technology be combined in a tight cohesive manner without facing the ethical debates of altering the human body? By changing something that is as close to the body as it is… clothing! Yes, even today clothing is being altered in the fashion industries to have a functional purpose (other than the obvious one – as clothing). Clothing is changing down to its very construction and the material that are put into making it. The options range from bug repellent shirts, to antimicrobial clothing.
Now these masterpieces of the so called “third culture” face one of the battles unique to this culture. It must choose a selling point. Unfortunately, if the clothing is going to sell, the function must be worth added cost. So the item’s function is often the selling point. The item, however, may loose its appeal as a work of art, and not just the work of art as a piece of clothing. The clothing and design in itself can be a piece of work. The science and technology that goes on in its development to give it its function is another marvel. The fusion of the two, is where the most creativity and design can come out. This, like I said before, is often overlooked as people focus on how well it works and how it can be used. This can be overcome if the article is put on display or if the function is not particularly usable, but used to make a point.
Sources:
Intuitve Surgical Inc.
Fashion Gets Functional (Article in Popular Science)
Week 6: Plastic Surgery
by Blair Georgakas
Is art or science more important to society? Our obsession with wealth has greatly influenced the science world to mass produce new technologies that will make our lives more convenient so they can sell their products and consequently make huge sums of money for large corporations. However, what drives the ideas of what to produce? The answer is the media. The media is constantly brain-washing society with what is seen as “in” and beautiful. This is art. Essentially, the human population is obsessed with art, with things that appeal to our senses. The movie industry is so highly regarded because we enjoy being entertained. Actors and singers that go big make millions of dollars because of the art they produce. Because the media has such a huge impact on our opinions, we have become consumed with body image as well.
The media has convinced us that beautiful women are skinny, tan, and big in the chest. Since we regard art so highly, our body image has become so important to us. What is better to beautify than ourselves? This kind of thinking has made the art of plastic surgery become so popular. We are influenced by the artists we look up to especially in film and music where plastic surgery is quite common. This last Saturday, Kanye West’s mother, Donda West, died due to complications from her multiple plastic surgery procedures. She was only 58. Her heart had some condition and was just not quite strong enough for the procedures. It is amazing to see just what people are willing to risk in order to be appealing to others.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iNzp3q-nbIhOi1ij8DS6V0iOHU0Q
The Art of Surgery and the Human Genome
In my opinion, plastic surgery, as a general topic, is exactly what this class is about. For any surgery to be successful, art and science must be used in collaboration. First of all, you’re dealing with the human body, which, in itself, is another example of how the two worlds of art and science are connected. The human body is much too complicated, much too complex to just be cut away at without any regard for precision or tactic. That’s where the art element comes into play. I believe it is very safe to say that plastic surgery would not be what it is without the constant developments and innovations that occur within the art field. It’s ironic that something that is completely anatomical in nature requires a fair portion of creativity and variation to exist as it does.
The Human Genome Project has enormous application in the fields of both art and science. Not only does it give us a greater understanding of how the human body works, but also transforms the body into living art. Plastic surgery can only go so far in manipulating the human body. With a complete knowledge of the different gene functions in humans, artists and scientists can adjust different gene sequences and ultimately change both the inner and outer appearance of human beings. Scientists and artists can collaborate and find interesting ways to change the DNA of human beings to produce useful results. Both artistic and scientific minds are needed to work with something as complex as the human body. Although the human genome has great implications in the fields of art and science, there are major ethical issues that must be examined before changing the human body in such a drastic way.
http://www.wlscenter.com/PlasticSurgery/Intro.htm
http://www.psurg.com/gallery.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/science96/
What’s wrong with Eugenics?
Nothing. There’s nothing wrong with eugenics, just as there’s nothing wrong with prejudice, where the problem lies in discrimination; or as with Communism, where the problem lies in Stalinism and the like. And just as proximity and association have tainted our conceptions of prejudice and Communism, so have they misled our views on eugenics. After all, when you strip away all of the connotations, eugenics simply means selectivity in breeding; and who isn’t selective when it comes to relationships? Anywhere from arbitrarily objective requirements–”I won’t go out with anyone shorter than 5′11″!”–to purely subjective preferences–”she should be sweet, and funny, and…”–everyone has standards that they’d like to be met. And while most of us base these standards on what we find physically attractive or mentally appealing, other concerns could affect our perceptions of each other; for example, would you feel comfortable having a child with someone who has a high chance of passing on a serious hereditary disease? It’s certainly something to think about.
If we’re on the same page in agreeing that eugenics, in the context I use it in, is acceptable social behavior (and if you don’t agree, then suspend your disapproval for now), then I can take the next step and draw a line between the selective breeding of humans and the selective breeding of dogs. Now obviously there are significant differences; in selective breeding in dogs to create purebreds, for example, many times it is acceptable to inbreed the animals. For humans, needless to say, this is strictly prohibited. Yet to consider the underlying reasoning, the purpose of this breeding is to bring out certain desirable traits–in animals, the physical traits in particular.
So why is there no human Best in Show? The ethical dilemma that segregates humans and animals plays its part here, too. One common example is the Kantian “means to an end” argument, in which human life should never be treated as a means, only as an ends in and of itself. However, we humans have that all-important capacity for sentience; so if we were to willingly breed–or with the onset of genetic manipulation, engineer–ourselves into paragons, would this be dehumanizing? It seems that this could only occur as a result of the ‘humanity’ of consciousness; thus, instead of dehumanization, it really should be the opposite. There is, of course, a second roadblock: those who believe we shouldn’t “create life” artificially. For this I will simply refer back to how we breed animals; if the sanctity of life itself is such an a priori issue, it seems impossible that purebreds or Thoroughbreds could exist. Of course it’s entirely possible that we have a huge double standard; hypocrisy is the standard of humanity, isn’t it? For the sake of argumentation, however, illogicality will be ignored, and we can thus conclude that genetic engineering and/or selective breeding of humans should be a perfectly ethical and acceptable practice.
…Yet I still feel squeamish about plastic surgery. Go figure.
Week 6: Biotech and Art
Should plastic surgery be considered a form of art?
Plastic surgery can only be considered art in certain contexts. When a person undergoes plastic surgery to reshape parts of the face in order to make it more “attractive,” that is not art. Nothing new or original has been created. When one uses plastic surgery like the French artist Orlan, that is art. Orlan has completely redefined the function of plastic surgery. Rather than make her face more attractive, Orlan has chosen to use plastic surgery to make her features less “human” and stresses the destructive and horrifying capabilities of plastic surgery. When artists begin to cut up the human body like Orlan in order to make art, have they gone too far? Manipulating the appearance living organisms should not be the focus of art. It is unethical and quite disturbing to see people abuse the human body in order to create art. Plastic surgery should only be employed to fix the human body, not to exploit its manipulability.
Does altering human genes go too far as a form of art?
Mapping the human genome is an arduous task that promises incredible results. By observing the DNA variations in humans, we have the ability to diagnose and even prevent thousands of disorders. However, manipulation of the human genome gives rise to important issues. Should scientists be allowed to alter the DNA of a human being? Can artists use the same tools as these scientists to make the human body into a living piece of art? With such a vast understanding of the human genome, artists and scientists can mix and match DNA sequences as they please in order to produce desired results. Although the ability to change the human genome makes the human genome the scientists’ palette, I believe the only rational reason that a scientist would alter human DNA would be to help the human body (preventing a disorder, bolstering immunity to diseases, etc) and not to manipulate the body as a piece of art. The Human Genome Project took thirteen years to complete and was meant to foster genetic research and biotechnology. Using the knowledge gained from the Human Genome Project to simply change the human body into art would defeat the project’s purpose.
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_consumers/The-Story-of-Plastic-Surgery-Art.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_genome
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml
Cryogenics, Cryopreservation
Cryogenics is the term referring to the general study of effects of very low temperature. It could be for non-human related issues such as super conductors in a low temperature. Cryopreservation is the term related to freezing cells, tissues or even the whole being and then reviving through thawing. There hasn’t been yet successful case of frozen human being’s resurrection, but the technology has been proven successful in different aspects. For example, semen, blood, tumor samples, human eggs (oocytes), and even embryos up to 8 cells have been frozen and then thawed to still function correctly. For case of embryo, pregnancy after being stored for 9 years have been reported.
One of the problem in cryopreservation is the crystalization of water. As the water within the cell crystalizes or freezes to ice, it expands and causes damage to the cell membrane. For a singular cell or low number cells, this is somewhat less important because the amount of water can be reduced rather simply. However, it is fairly difficult to remove enough water evenly from human body. Technology such as reducing water within the body, then freezing have been progressing, but there has been theories to freeze water fast enough that it wouldn’t have time to expand before it freezes.
Cryopreservation has been featured in popular culture quite often. Movies such as the Demolition Man (1993) features people being put into a cryopreservation prison for extended period of time. More well known movie such as the Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery features the antagonist Dr. Evil being cryopreserved to unfold his plan in the future. The protagonist Austin Powers is also cryopreserved to thwart Dr. Evil’s plan in future.
Art and prosthesis
How have artists continued to contribute to biological technology?
Artists have been inspired by the human body for ages and at times in history, they lend valuable knowledge to the scientific world. A well-known example of this is the work of Leonardo Da Vinci. He began to study the human anatomy extensively to perfect his artwork. After he observed and drew the visible features of the human anatomy through apprenticeships and autopsies, he collaborated with doctors to create learning tools for future medical purposes. He also made one of the first drawings of a fetus and continued to study the affects of age on the human body.
Today, one of the most overt examples of artists working considerably in the medical community is through the art of prosthesis. Prosthetics provide artificial body parts for people who are missing any portion of their body. The actual technology involved in making prosthetic limbs has evolved greatly, but now patients are looking forward to more realistic looking limbs. The practice of cosmesis is where artists have rapidly stepped in to create prosthetic limbs that resemble actual human body parts.
Kim Erickson is an artist who is now famous for his work with artificial eyes. His father, invented the method of making plastic eyes during WWI and after majoring in mathematics in college, Kim Erickson decided to continue his father’s work. The eyes that he creates are incredibly realistic and are each individual pieces of art. I don’t think that when most people realize that there are a vast amount of reasons for someone to require cosmetic surgery. Although plastic surgery for purely vain reasons has expanded greatly, the impact that artists who work in this field have had on people who are trying to regain the usefulness that prosthetic limbs provide is a positive affect.
Links:
Prosthesis article
Leonardo Da Vinci Biography
Article on Kim Erickson
Slideshow of Kim Erickson’s work
Body=Canvas
The ability to change the outward appearance has been around before the age of plastic surgery. Women in Africa put rings around their necks to stretch them to achieve a more beautiful physique. Women in Asia were special shoes to makes their feet smaller. All of these physical changes are used to achieve beauty. Of course every culture has its own perception of beauty and we have ours. We value tan and skinny, so we have ways of achieving that through tanning salons and diets. We can alter our bodies in many ways to make it look a certain way. Many are natural like diet and exercise, but some blur the lines with methods like steroid use. Men and women use steroids mostly to gain an edge in an athletic venue, but other use “roids” just to look strong. So the difference between surgery and other ways to alter one’s body becomes blurred. Whether it is surgery or artificial chemicals, we are obsessed with becoming a more perfect human.
The ability to change the outward appearance has been around before the age of plastic surgery. Women in Africa put rings around their necks to stretch them to achieve a more beautiful physique. Women in Asia were special shoes to makes their feet smaller. All of these physical changes are used to achieve beauty. Of course every culture has its own perception of beauty and we have ours. We value tan and skinny, so we have ways of achieving that through tanning salons and diets. We can alter our bodies in many ways to make it look a certain way. Many are natural like diet and exercise, but some blur the lines with methods like steroid use. Men and women use steroids mostly to gain an edge in an athletic venue, but other use “roids” just to look strong. So the difference between surgery and other ways to alter one’s body becomes blurred. Whether it is surgery or artificial chemicals, we are obsessed with becoming a more perfect human.
As for the body as a piece of art, the body is the ultimate canvas. There are many different ways to change the body into something unique. Tattoos are one way of turning the body into a piece of art. People that use the body as a canvas for plastic surgery are the same. They are modifying the body and putting it into a new image. The popular TV series Nip Tuck is based around a clinic of plastic surgeons. The show portrays many of the patients as vain people who wish to beat the ageing process or further enhance an already good looking person. But the show doesn’t really accurate depict a lot of the patients accurately. Many people seeking plastic surgery are doing it purely for art, such at Orlan. Whether people are using plastic surgery for art or to achieve a higher level of beauty, technology will be the vehicle to make it happen. As techniques improve in cosmetic surgery, the potential to shape and mold the body increases.
As for the body as a piece of art, the body is the ultimate canvas. There are many different ways to change the body into something unique. Tattoos are one way of turning the body into a piece of art. People that use the body as a canvas for plastic surgery are the same. They are modifying the body and putting it into a new image. The popular TV series Nip Tuck is based around a clinic of plastic surgeons. The show portrays many of the patients as vain people who wish to beat the ageing process or further enhance an already good looking person. But the show doesn’t really accurate depict a lot of the patients accurately. Many people seeking plastic surgery are doing it purely for art, such at Orlan. Whether people are using plastic surgery for art or to achieve a higher level of beauty, technology will be the vehicle to make it happen. As techniques improve in cosmetic surgery, the potential to shape and mold the body increases.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neck_ring
http://www.tv.com/nip-tuck/show/17095/summary.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabolic_steroid
