The connections between medical technology and art is very relevant to modern day actions and procedures.
Orlan, a French artist, has what is considered to be a strange way of expressing art. She uses her body as her choice of medium through a series of cosmetic surgeries. With each surgery, she treated the procedures as an art performance. The surgeries were filmed for her viewers to see and they were treated as any other artistic display or performance. Orlan's artistic choices were really questioning beauty and what is considered beautiful in the most popular paintings. Instead of going through with these surgeries to make herself appear younger, as most do, she sought to question the idea of beauty. This is what many would define as extreme measures for the sake of artistic practices. This is a clear example of how medical technology has influenced art. In my opinion, this is very extreme of an artist to do for their art or to challenge norms. However, this is a very intriguing form of art to me that I had never known occurred.
There is a website called Driessens and Verstappen that has a section dedicated to Tickle Robots (shown below). These robots are designed for "automated skin caress." The nature of these gadgets can be related to medical technology because of the sensitivity of the robot and how it can be applied in medical ways. Inventions like these always amaze me because there seems to be hardly any limits on what technology can accomplish.
"Photo." Photo | ORLAN OFFICIAL WEBSITE / SITE OFFICIEL D'ORLAN. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.
Orlan's Surgeries. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 April 2017.
Tickle Robots, Spear, Tickle, Tickle Salon, Driessens & Verstappen. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Aprl 2017.
Tickle, Robot, Driessens & Verstappen, 1996/2006. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 April 2017.
"Orlan - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia." Alchetron.com. N.p., 18 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 April 2017.
I really liked the examples that you used, to show how art is being used in medicine. The person getting surgery, looks like a living canvas, prior to getting surgery. Also the little robot, is quite fascinating. But I wonder how much this technology cost, and if it will be cost effective for all?
ReplyDeleteORLAN is definitely a fantastic example to exemplify the bridge between art and medicine. I think that her carnal art is indicative of her paradoxical characteristics. Her ability to alter who she is for many interviews and pictures leaves the audience wondering who she is externally. With constantly changing outside appearance, we are forced to understand her internal self to know who ORLAN is.
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