ART + MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Art is often used as a forum by which humans attempt to further understand their experiences, both emotionally and physically. The literal collision between art and medical technology can be observed through collections of posed plasticized bodies. The method of plastination, created by Gunther Van Hagen, gives us the ability to view the human body on a multitude of different levels, including muscles organs and nervous system. I was fortunate enough to have gotten the chance to see a Body World expedition in high school and it was an incredibly beautiful experience. it is artistically and scientifically remarkable to be able to see an aspect of live normally gone unseen and unappreciated. An understanding for the human body has become the foundation for many artistic styles and representations. The emphasis on accurate human portrayals are prominent in the renaissance and realism artistic periods.

The dissection of the human body has been a consistent aspect of societies since the beginning of  mankind, it is only when anatomy integrates with technological advances and art that truly life changing discoveries are made. For example, Kevin Warwick, believed that the future of health care lay in the hands of electronics, not chemical treatments. Within the last few years electronic implants have been developed to treat chronic headaches, with the potential to eventually replace Advil and drugs like it completely . These discoveries also include prosthetic limbs, hearing aids and communication devices much like the one Stephen Hawking developed. I recently saw an inspiring video of people hearing for the first time due to recent progress in hearing aid technology, including ear fittings, wireless connectivity and advances in computer chip circuity. When art and medical technology combined, the possibilities for health care and artistic understanding become endless.

References

"Deaf People Reactions When They Hear For The First Time." YouTube. Tech Ticking, Feb. 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Lindsey, Heather. "The Latest in Hearing Aid Technology - ENTtoday." ENTtoday. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

MacRae, Micheal. "Top 5 Medical Technology Innovations." ASME. The American Society of Mechanical Engineering, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

"The Plastination Process." Body Worlds. Institute for Plastination, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Swartz, Jon. "How a Groundbreaking Device Is Helping Stephen Hawking Communicate." USA Today. Gannett, 02 Dec. 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

           

ART + ROBOTICS

Growing up in an age where computers, cell phones, and GPS systems are staples in our daily lives,  it is no surprise to learn how critical these products have become in all aspects of out life, including the arts.  Anything from generically printed posters to automotive production can be manufactured through technological advancements. Even artists have been able to use technology to their creative benefit through things like laser cutters and computer animation. The more subtle connection between the two is the ways by which art effects the production of robotics. All robots are inherently designed to be marketable products. A current example of this is the popular desire fro sleek and modern designed products that brought about companies such as Corning. Corning creates display screens that have the potential to affect a numerous array of products. The company has plans to expand their market and create sleek touch designed screens that will eventually be integrated into bathroom mirrors, kitchen counter and stove tops, and entire car dashboards.           
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf7IL_eZ38 cited below)

While the relationship between art and robotics is a two way street, Walter Benjimin reminds us that this street contains great innovation for both forums as well as stifling aspects.  It is apparent that the design of a product may be more important than the functionality of that product when a consumer is making a purchasing decision. For example, the design of smart phones, specifically the Apple I-Phone are in part so successful because of their modern flat design and not the out-dated flip to open styles of the past. The design of robotics in movies has also shaped the way many perceive the better robots should look.When the movie Star Wars first aired in 1977, robots like C3P0 and R2D2 seemed to be the coolest and most advanced designs for technological products at the time and thus everything that came out around the same time had to be designed in a similar matter. Since The movie I Robot was released 30 years later, the designs used in that film became the standard by which products were made. The relationship between Art and Robotics has consistently been underrated through recent history but as technology advances into the upcoming years, the bond and overlap between the two will become more influential parts of our every day lives.



Resources 

"A Day Made of Glass... Made Possible by Corning.” YouTube. YouTube, 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

Products and Applications." Corning Display Technologies. Corning INC, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

"Robotics Design Process." Galileo Robotics. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

Osborne, Peter. "Walter Benjamin." Stanford University. Stanford University, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

 Norman, Jeremy. "Relating the Rapidly Changing Present to the Distant Past as Far as Book History Is Concerned." Histroy of Information. N.p., 6 Aug. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.