Week 4 | Medicine
The mad scientist or the unhinged artist are classical tropes in popular media. At some point, some artists do become so entangled in their art that the distinction between art and artist dissolves.
In a performance by Eduardo Kac, he implanted an RFID tag into his leg via a microchip in 1997. The project, called Time Capsule, registers Kac in an animal database whilst also recording Kac as the animal’s owner. Ken Warwick is another example of fusing the art-artist identification. He implanted a silicon chip transponder into his arm that controls electronic operations in his office and even controls a robotic hand from across the nation. This project is called Cyborg 1.0.
Time Capsule (left) and Cyborg 1.0 (right)
Beauty is pain.
Another instance of the human body becoming a canvas for avante garde expression is carved through the practice of plastic surgery. I was fascinated to learn the origins and development of plastic surgery. The procedure has been used for corrections, enhancements, and alterations of the human body. Just like pills need to be ingested periodically for diseases, non-invasive procedures like fillers need to be retouched periodically to maintain its appearance.
Oculus on exhibit during Venice Design 2018 at Palazzo Michiel.
Moreover, the study of medicine and human anatomy extends beyond the human body in artworks such as Patricia Olynyk’s Oculus. The Oculus is a black and red sculpture that connects human sensory awareness with architecture. The experience one feels from gazing on the artwork “triggers an affective encounter with the colossally represented miniscule, offering a fantastic voyage that navigates spatial, temporal, and phenomenal worlds”. Therefore, the audience is simultaneously watching and being watched.
Source
American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "Dermal Fillers: Minimally Invasive Procedures" 2021. https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/dermal-fillers.
Eduardo Kac. Time Capsule. November 11, 1997. https://www.ekac.org/figs.html.
Getting the Best Plastic Surgery. Image. https://theplasticsurgeryblogsite.puzl.com/.
Ken Warwick. 2007. http://www.kevinwarwick.com/.
Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.” Lecture. Medicine pt1 . Youtube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk.
Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/FIX-9mXd3Y4.” Lecture. Medicine pt3. Youtube, 22 Apr. 2012. Web. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4.
Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/psjnQarHOqQ.” Lecture. Medicine pt2 . Youtube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ.
Hi Hope, I was also really interested in learning the origins of plastic surgery. I hadn't really thought of plastic surgery as art before, but I definitely see now that its a clear intersection of art and medicine. Also, what you were saying about the body as a canvas for art is a cool idea that applies to less drastic things than plastic surgery like piercings, hair cuts, or even fashion.
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