Medicine as an Art

I am generally a squeamish person, and yet I find myself extremely fascinated by Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds exhibit [1]. It really speaks to the abundance of art and science cross-sections that a medical process like plastination was integrated into a long-standing art exhibit on the human body.

 I was unaware that doctors were more so considered artists than scientists until the 20^th century, when science became a larger part of medical treatment [2]. However, the Hippocratic Oath is evidence of medicine being in close connection to philosophy and ethics more than biological research for most of its history [3]. Both art and medicine can be considered studies of the human body and interaction; thus, it makes sense that these disciplines would interact and influence each other as well.

Classical version of the Hippocratic Oath

The most interesting part about the relationship between art and medicine to me is plastic surgery. One of my guilty pleasures is the television show Botched [4]. Doctors DuBrow and Nassif reexamine patients with “botched” plastic surgery jobs and try to give the patients a better aesthetic. It’s not just the physical act of the surgeries that intrigues me (though I also learned about performance art pieces that involve such things [5]) but the psychological effect a new surgery has on the patients. It really makes me think about how we as a society define beauty when someone’s self-confidence and self-worth relies on good or bad plastic surgery.

"Human Ken" and "Human Barbie," plastic surgery addicts [6]

To me, the best thing art can do is draw attention to absurd social constructs. On the subject of art and medicine, one of the most important social constructs is beauty and human aesthetics. Artists like Orlan draw attention to this subject, and I am eternally captivated by her [7].

1st Operation-Surgery-Performance, ORLAN Reading La Robe by Eugénie Lemoine-Luccioni, Cibachrome, 65 x 43 in, 1990

 [1] Von Hangens, Gunther. "The Idea behind Plastination." Plastination. Body Worlds, 2006. Web. 04 July 2016. <http://www.bodyworlds.com/en/plastination/idea_plastination.html>

[2] Vesna, Victoria. Medicine Lecture Part 1. Video. 3 July 2016.

[3] Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." NOVA. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 04 July 2016. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html>

[4] "Botched." E! Online. Web. 04 July 2016. <http://www.eonline.com/shows/botched>

 

[5] Vesna, Victoria. Medicine Lecture Part 3. Video. 3 July 2016.

[6] Fong, Lu. "The GQ A: Human Ken Doll Justin Jedlica on Meeting Human Barbie." GQ. 07 Apr. 2014. Web. 04 July 2016. <http://www.gq.com/story/human-ken-doll-justin-jedlica-interview>

 

[7] Orlan. Artiste Transmédia Et Féministe. Web. 04 July 2016. <http://www.orlan.eu/>

 

A Future with Art and Robots

One of the most fascinating things to me about industrialization is Henry Ford’s creation of the assembly line in 1913 [1]. It’s applications in modern technology are two-faced. On one hand, the efficiency is integral for a large-scale economy. On the other hand, mass production of identical products is wiping culture clean of uniqueness. The response many artists have had to this is to take a critical look at a foreseen future of mechanization.

I remember seeing Bicentennial Man when I was around 10 (see trailer below) [2]. While it may not be the most critical and intellectual critique of robotics, it still comments on issues like conformity, individualism, and human emotions in a highly technological society. I see their attempt to humanize their robot protagonist with compassionate emotions as their way of perpetuating compassionate feelings in humanity, even amongst growing industrialization.

I also came across Dave Hanson this week, who has worked to develop robots with realistic human emotions and reactions [3]. His live demonstration of his Einstein robot is like watching a science fiction movie come to life. It is this optimism and excitement about robotics that I grew up with and that shapes how I perceive modern technology now.

However, I can understand a more cynical approach, especially when assembly line efficiency was associated with Hitler and the fascism regime by philosopher Walter Benjamin at the time of World War II [4]. What came to mind when I read his analysis was a recent technological disaster in Microsoft’s artificial intelligence project, which had to be shut down after becoming a “Hitler-loving sex robot” within 24 hours of being live on Twitter [5]. It’s a bit of an unnerving coincidence that the kind of robotic technology Hitler sought to integrate into his country would later become his biggest fan.

The reality is that industrial technology is not perfect and the future of its uses relies on humans to do the right thing with it. Art involving robotics can either suggest a positive direction to take with the technology, or – in the case of Ken Feingold’s artwork – serve as a warning. 

"Hell" Ken Feingold (2013

[1] "Ford’s Assembly Line Starts Rolling." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 01 Dec. 2015. Web. 03 July 2016. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fords-assembly-line-starts-rolling>

[2] Bicentennial Man. Prod. Chris. Columbus. Dir. Chris. Columbus. 1999. Web. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3K1a4aSBdk>

[3] "Robots That "show Emotion"" David Hanson:. TED, Feb. 2009. Web. 03 July 2016. <http://www.ted.com/talks/david_hanson_robots_that_relate_to_you>

[4] Davis, Douglas. "The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995)." Leonardo 28.5 (1995): 381. Web.

[5]Molloy, Mark. "Microsoft 'deeply Sorry' after AI Becomes 'Hitler-loving Sex Robot'" The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 26 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 July 2016. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/26/microsoft-deeply-sorry-after-ai-becomes-hitler-loving-sex-robot/>

[6] Feingold, Ken. Ken Feingold: Artworks and Documentation. Web. 03 July 2016.

 

Math + Art = Progress

I previously talked about one of my favorite authors being Lewis Carroll, who wrote about concepts like imaginary numbers and induction in his Alice in Wonderland books. I was much delighted to read FlatLand by Edwin Abbott. Like Carroll, Abbott used mathematical concepts (in Abbott’s case, multi-dimensional geometry) to make a commentary on social classes in the Victorian era. To me, this is one of the most important uses of any artistic tool.

As Henderson explains in her essay “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion,” the development of higher-dimensional geometry inspired many artists in abstract fields. One such artist is Theo van Doesburg who portrayed the fourth dimension in many of his paintings through the limited capabilities of a two-dimensional canvas. It is inspiring that artists like him are not limited by their own imagination and can interpret high-level mathematical thinking and rework it into their own set of skills and social concepts.

“Card Players,” oil painting by Theo van Doesburg, 1917

Besides art being a reflection of some mathematical concepts, art can also use math to reflect other messages. Robert Lang is a 3D origami artist who uses geometry to create animals out of paper. His detailed portrayal of natural and wildlife is a beautiful use of traditional origami.

"Vertical Pond II", 60 uncut squares of custom-made Origamido paper, 2014, by Robert Lang

It seems that mathematics is a huge part of developing realistic and complex art. Historically, they have had a complimentary relationship. So why are the arts and mathematics juxtaposed so often?

A traditional African blanket with fractal patterns

Perhaps it comes from our current education system, which pits these two disciplines against each other and. Nonetheless, art would not be where it is today without mathematical innovation, and perhaps math would not be where it is today without the innovative minds of a stereotypical “artist.” It was, after all, the dual-ly talented minds of such artists/mathematicians as Leonardo da Vinci that made huge leaps in both fields.

Abbott, Edwin. “Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <https://cole.uconline.edu/content>.

"African Fractals." African Fractals. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2016. <http://www.ccd.rpi.edu/Eglash/csdt/african/African_Fractals/homepage.html>

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Theo Van Doesburg." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 26 June 2016. <http://www.britannica.com/biography/Theo-van-Doesburg>

Henderson, Linda. “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion.” MIT Press. 17.3 (1984): 205-10. Print.

Lang, Robert J. "Artwork: Vertical Pond II." Robert J. Lang Oragami. N.p., 2014. Web. 26 June 2016. <http://www.langorigami.com/artwork/vertical-pond-ii>

Stuck in the Middle of Two Cultures

It is often that I find myself torn between the two cultures C.P. Snow described in his essay “The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolutions. He theorizes that a communication gap separates the literary intellectuals and natural scientists of the world. The UCLA campus is a manifest of this divide:

UCLA Campus map: The southern part of campus is devoted to STEM departments; the northern part to humanities/arts/social sciences

As a math major, I find myself stuck in the modern atmosphere of the math/sciences buildings. I hardly venture into north campus, where UCLA’s oldest, more traditional buildings are home to the humanities, arts, and social sciences. But despite my studies being largely dedicated to the logic and technical components of math, I still entertain my literary hobbies. I have been an avid reader and writer since I was a child, and when I have any free time, my first choice is to delve myself into another novel or draft another short story.

I agree it is a very important role artists have to bridge the communication gap between the two cultures. One of my favorite authors, Lewis Carroll, is such an artist, whose novels and poems interpreted modern mathematical concepts in a satirical way as a commentary on the growing complexity.  His works inspire me to maintain both a strong mathematical education and an active literary one.

Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

I see technology as an inherent bridge-builder. The construction of most technology is a heavily involved science, but their output can largely be an artist’s tool. Examples include using Photoshop to create artistic images, auto-tune to produce new songs, or even zero-gravity to create dance routines. And these artistic works can convey or create meaningful messages in the humanities and social sciences. In a reverse direction, artists can inspire scientific research with their portrayal of literary intellectual ideas.

Piece by Michael Chang to explore artificial evolution using computer code 

As Vesna asserts in her essay “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between,” the important thing is that artists respect both cultures’ languages and methodologies so that they remain credible conduits of communication. This is how the two cultures can progress in a parallel and peaceful way.

Chang, Michael. Butterfly. Digital image. Morphology. UCLA, n.d. Web. 26 June 2016. <http://users.design.ucla.edu/~mflux/morphology/gallery/shots/butterfly.htm>.

"Lewis Carroll." Lewis Carroll Society of North America. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2016. <http://www.lewiscarroll.org/>.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.

"UCLA Campus Map." Digital image. UCLA, n.d. Web. 26 June 2016. 

          <http://whatnext.theoutdoorschool.org/Whats_Next/UCLA.html>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.