With the concept of art and creativity being as broad as it is, I find it interesting to view the results of medical technology as being artistic. I am also surprised by how much of medicine can be viewed through the lens of art. Great examples of this from class are exhibits like Bodies or artistic viewings of MRI readings. One of my favorites, however, is brainbow. Brainbow is a neuro-imaging method where different cell types are differentiated using fluorescent proteins. There are multiple different colors available and each color can be used to color a specific cell type. This method of visualizing the brain produces some beautiful images which are not only fascinating to look at but also can provide scientific insight into the anatomy of our brains.
X-Men character undergoing a medical procedure
Another area where art and medical technology cross over is in movies, specifically in the recently more popular super hero movies. Some of these films, such as X-Men and Spiderman, weave medical science into their stories in order to ground them in reality. For example, the X-Men movies use the hero characters (who are people with genetic mutations which give them superpowers) to discuss social stigmas and responses to a group of outsiders. One of their main focuses is on the genetic mutations themselves and the medical technology and policy which would go along with the discovery of genetic superpowers. By combining art and medical technology in this way, the creators of X-Men are able to tell a story which is both entertaining and which contains relevant social criticisms for the time.
Trailer for X-Men
Sources:
“Bodies: The Exhibition.” Premierexhibitions.com, Premiere Exhibitions, Inc. , www.premierexhibitions.com/exhibitions/4/4/bodies-exhibition. “Brainbow.” Harvard University Brain Tour, braintour.harvard.edu/archives/portfolio-items/brainbow.
Briest, Sarah. "The Allegorical X-Men: Emblems, Comics, and the Allegorical Potential of Text/Image Hybrid Genres." ImageTexT, vol 9, no. 1, 2017, n. pag. Dept of English, University of Florida. 29 April 2018. Web.
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., doi:10.1353/con.2011.0008. Ingber, Donald E. The Architecture of Life. 1998.
Buckyball This week we discussed the current state of nanotechnology and it's current relationship with art. The first aspect of nanotechnology which interested me was the idea that nanotechnology has benefited from discoveries in other areas. The first example of this is the inspiration behind how the Buckminsterfullerenes (also known as the buckyball) was discovered. The buckyball is a molecular form of carbon which uses 60 carbon molecules to form a sphere. This molecule was known of in the past, but its structure was not discovered until Richard E. Smalley looked into architecture. By looking at geodesic domes, which were popularized by Richard Buckminster Fuller, Smalley was able to figure out the buckyball's structure. This is a perfect example of the crossover between nanotechnology and art. Like many other forms of science, nanotech and art have been able to learn and develop together even though they may seem like contradictory ideas. Morpho butterfly In the ...
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