Medicine + Technology + Art

            I grew up playing injury prone sports such as basketball, skateboarding, and football. The more time invested in sports equals a greater possibility of getting hurt, and when I was 14 that happened during football. I played Wide Receiver and was tackled awkwardly twisting my knee. Not long after I had an MRI (Mirror Resonance Imaging) appointment to check for internal damage. When I saw the images the MRI machine produces I never imaged they will be used as art. In 1998 Justine Cooper was the first to use MRI in her art that received wide public attention (Casini 74). Below is a fascinating piece by Justine Cooper called  “Reach”.
The piece includes 2000 MRI scans of her hands and forearms reaching up on plexi glass. The combination of technology and medicine create a powerful objet of art. The MRI machine assembles high resolution internal images that help doctors pinpoint damaged areas below the skin. The same machine is being used to create breathtaking works of art.
            Virgil Wong is an artist and a technologist with the mindset to help improve people’s health. He founded the Medical Avatar which is a company that promotes self care, advancing medical education, and technological instruments that provide information about ones health. His artwork is anatomy based with an angle that our eyes cannot see such as interal organs and microscopic tissue. Below one of Virgil Wong’s unnamed artwork that uses 3D photography to create art.
This is a picture of an MRI machine that is used both in the science and art field.
References

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations Between Science and Arts.” (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 30 April. 2017.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/psjnQarHOqQ.” Lecture. Medicine pt2 . Youtube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ

Watson, Emily. "Emily Watson Jewelry." Emily Watson | Metal & Enamel Jewelry | Silver Jewelry Index | Recent Jewelry | Silver Jewelry 2000 to 2010 | Cufflinks | Custom Jewelry. Web. 30 April 2017.


Wong, Virgil Ted Talk http://virgilwong.com/virgils-ted-talk-the-medical-avatar/

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 1, 2017 at 9:25 PM

    I think you really captured what it means to combine art and medicine. I've also had several MRIs and they really do create art and not just an image of our bodies. Justine Cooper's "Reach" is a great example and I'm glad you included it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownMay 3, 2017 at 11:29 PM

    IV seen a lot of artists us things that resemble MRI imaging by layering and combined different element and materials but IV never actually seen an artist us MRI scans. I think it's a really visually stunning piece, makes me think how this artist had the means of getting an MRI. I'd love to get my hands on one

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