Week 3: MedTech + Art

    Webster's definition of art as "something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings" is widely accepted amongst most artists and appreciators of art. Therefore, it's no oddity that technological advances in the field of medicine can be categorized under the banner of art. It's not even a stretch to categorize the human body as an art form in itself, since it is possible to express feelings and ideas through appearance.

 Orlan exemplifies the idea that the human body can be an art form through her plastic surgery alterations.

    

     Plastic surgery was not initially explored as a route to alter appearance in order to achieve a level of beauty pleasing to the individual, but rather as a form to reconstruct parts of the body damaged by either war or unexpected trauma. It was during WWI that plastic surgery emerged as a lucrative field since the new era of warfare brought with it novel means of killing and maiming (primarily explosives.) Below is an example of a celebrity who used plastic surgery to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. This form of modification falls into the category of art, since it is an expression of feeling and represents an ongoing paradigm shift in how we view our appearance.

Natalie Portman's nose job.

     An interesting case in which technology steps into the picture is in the work of Professor Kevin Warwick. This Professor of Cybernetics surgically implanted a silicon transponder to allow a computer to monitor his location. He was able to thus activate doors and lights in his lab because of his location status. He went so far as to create both a CNS connected robotic hand that could be controlled over the internet and a communication system between his brain and his wife's, allowing them to communicate in morse code.

Warwick with his CNS controlled hand.

Warwick's initial implant, Cyborg 1.0.

     Warwick's work served as a three-way bridge between the medical community, the tech sector, and artists. His robotic hands and custom sensors are aesthetically pleasing not only from the point of view of an engineer but also an artist. Art is in many cases an imitation of life; this case is no different.

     On a related note, it's worth mentioning that my faculty advisor, Dr. William Kaiser, is working on many similar devices that are wearable. He is part of UCLA's very own Wireless Health Institute, which serves the community through research relating to monitoring devices that will become extremely prevalent as the century carries on.

Works Cited

Byrne, Emma. "Innovation Isn't Safe: The Future According To Kevin Warwick." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 July 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2013/09/30/kevin-warwick-captain-cyborg/>.

Salcido, Jannelle. "The History of Plastic Surgery." PlasticSurgery.com ». N.p., 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 13 July 2014. <http://plasticsurgery.com/the-history-of-plastic-surgery/>.

"UCLA Wireless Health." UCLA Wireless Health. UCLA, n.d. Web. 13 July 2014. <http://www.wirelesshealth.ucla.edu>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.” Lecture. Medicine pt1 . Youtube, 13 July 2014. eb. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/FIX-9mXd3Y4.” Lecture. Medicine pt3. Youtube, 13 July 2014. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/psjnQarHOqQ.” Lecture. Medicine pt2 . Youtube, 13 July 2014.Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ>.

Warwick, Kevin. "Kevin Warwick - Home Page." Kevin Warwick - Home Page. University of Reading, n.d. Web. 13 July 2014. <http://www.kevinwarwick.com>.