Week 4: MedTech + Art

All plastic surgery hospitals in one street in Seoul

I am a person who always thinks medical technology can help form art. In this week’s class, Professor Vesna utilizes plastic surgery to show how medical technology can form art, and it is the fact I am familiar with (Vesna). In Asia, South Korea is called the world capital of plastic surgery, and “it has the highest rate of plastic surgery per capita” (Patricia). I went to South Korea many times, and there is a street which is filled with plastic surgery hospitals, and I actually did my plastic surgery there. Plastic surgery uses the medical technology to help people look more attractive, most

of Korean pop stars do plastic surgery. 

Orlan looks a bit weird

Korean pop group EXO, All members look similar

However, Dr. Howard C. Samuels states some people “have very skewed concept of beauty in today’s society”, and “they don’t realize that there is no such thing as a perfect face or body” (Howard). It is obvious that medical technology can form art, but if we overuse medical technology, it will either destroy the beauty of art or “destroy uniqueness and aura of art (IV, Walter). In the lecture, Professor Vesna shows Orlan’s example. Orlan is an artist who uses technology and medicine to an extreme, and she did plastic surgery over six times (Vesna). In Asia, we can also find some people who do plastic surgery too many times, and their faces are either all the same or very weird.

Acupuncture points picture 

dance which shows events in the human heart

 Even though I always believe that medical technology can form art, I have never thought that art can also help form medical technology. Acupuncture points picture is a good example, it uses drawing to show all the acupuncture points of human beings, and it can help study the medical technology. Another example is Dr. Buckenberg designs a dance which shows events in the human heart (Katie).

Medical technology and art certainly affect each other. Medical technology can help form some attractive art, and art can help study medical technology more. I believe that medical technology and art overall have positive mutual influence with each other.

Work Cited:

Marx, Patricia. "ABOUT FACE." THE NEW YORKER. 23 Mar. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/23/about-face>.

Samuels, Howard. "Plastic Surgery Addiction." Dr. Howard C. Samuels. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://drhowardsamuels.com/addiction-guide/plastic-surgery/>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine Parts 1-3.” Lecture. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Pence, Katie. "College of Medicine Alumnus Develops 'Artistic' Way to Teach About Heart Function." HealthNews. 1 July 2007. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://healthnews.uc.edu/publications/findings/?/5109/5110/>.