When you think of medicine and art
one does not usually draw a correlation between the two. But this week after
watching professor Vesna’s lectures, she brought up several examples of art and
medicine working together in unison. For example she brought up a German
scientist named Gunther van Hagens who developed a procedure called
plastination that replaces the water in deceased human bodies with plastic in
order to preserve them. The bodies are displayed in an exhibit in an artistic
manner in order to display human anatomy permanently. Its fascinating to
observe these bodies, not only to learn about anatomy, but also to appreciate
the artistic portrait that the scientist has conveyed.
Other
recent advances in medical technology that portray the human body in artistic
fashion would be the MRI and x-ray machines. Instead of the ultra-invasive form
of viewing the interior of the body, these machines were developed to
create “portrait” of the inside of the
body without actually going inside.
The most
relevant example of the marriage of art and medicine would have to be plastic
surgery. Before this week I was under the impression that plastic surgery was a
recent discovery, but in fact it was invented over 4000 years ago. Plastic
surgery became important in World War 2 when faces started to become disfigured
from the new types of weapons. In this case the body is the canvas, and the
doctor is the artist. It does worry me though that people push the limits of
their own safety in order to change their appearance. I believe the only real
reason for plastic surgery is a medical condition, such as breast cancer or
cleft lip, in order for the person to feel comfortable in their own body.
"Medical Devices." Risks of Breast Implants.
N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine Parts 1-3.” Lecture. Web. 26 Oct.
2013.
"Plastination." Wikipedia. Wikimedia
Foundation, 08 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
"Plastic Surgeons Build Back the Person after Breast
Cancer." Http://www.pjstar.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
"Bodies© INCorporated." Bodies© INCorporated.
N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
I also found the "marriage" between art and science interesting. It was never a bond that I had deeply considered. However, now that I think about it, my love for medicine is flooded with art. In a theological context, I imagine a creator, an artist who created the beautiful things around me. I see how the human body is a piece of art in its self, carefully crafted to perfection. Thinking about it in a grander scheme helps me to center in on the obvious relationship the two have now.
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