Med+Tech
The human body is one of the most fascinating "machine" operating on earth today. Anatomy and dissection of the human body is at the intersection of art and technology today. Medical technology is at the front of the technology race as its field is producing some of the newest and most advanced technology today.
The first important text and illustration of the human anatomy were done by Andreas Vesalius in his De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1543) in which he accurately depicted an elaborate depiction of the human organs and body structure like no one had done before. A few hundred years later, Henry Gray's Anatomy book would prove to be one of the most dominant pieces on the subject and is still used today. The vivid illustrations and detailed descriptions would trigger a shift in appeal towards the human body, and even today, although it was intended for the medical community, most artists who work with the human body use it.
The human body is one of the most fascinating "machine" operating on earth today. Anatomy and dissection of the human body is at the intersection of art and technology today. Medical technology is at the front of the technology race as its field is producing some of the newest and most advanced technology today.
The first important text and illustration of the human anatomy were done by Andreas Vesalius in his De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1543) in which he accurately depicted an elaborate depiction of the human organs and body structure like no one had done before. A few hundred years later, Henry Gray's Anatomy book would prove to be one of the most dominant pieces on the subject and is still used today. The vivid illustrations and detailed descriptions would trigger a shift in appeal towards the human body, and even today, although it was intended for the medical community, most artists who work with the human body use it.
A popular, yet rare, use of the human body in the art world is the exhibition called "Bodies" which display human bodily systems preserved with silicon posed in active positions. It is captivating exhibition and I was lucky enough to get to visit the traveling exhibit in New York. The exhibit was like nothing I have ever seen and I will remember the remarkable figures displayed forever.
X-Rays are taken for granite in the 21st century, as they are used in a wide range and variety of places from airport security to every established hospital in the world. But X-Rays have been one of the most influential inventions since the beginning of the 20th century both in the medical and artistic world. CAT scans today are able to provide the doctor with a 3-D image of their patients anatomy, a truly remarkable invention. Growing up, my father was a ER Surgeon, a doctor whose practice is primarily reading and diagnosing X-Rays, so I would sit and watch him work with his technicians to take the MRI and CAT scans and then place his scans up to light then diagnose his patient. The evolution of X-Rays has allowed for doctors and artists alike to get a better and better understanding of what the human anatomy looks like and the many different variations.
The evolution of modern medicine has helped artists around the world learn the physiology of humans. This has led to art that represents the body more accurately.
Sources
Gray, Henry Gray's Anatomy Descriptive and Surgical, 1896 13th edition.
Savitz, Masha. "Deconstructing the Human Bodies Exhibit and Falun Gong Genocide." Oct. 14, 2014. http://cinemalibrestudio.com/clsblog/2014/10/14/deconstructing-the-human-bodies-exhibit-the-falun-gong-genocide/
"History of the X-Ray and Radiology." History. NDT Resource Center, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. https://www.nde-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Radiography/Introduction/history.htm
"CAT Scan vs. MRI." Diffen, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. http://www.diffen.com/difference/CT_Scan_vs_MRI
"Vesalius - Pages 3 and 4." Virtual Books: Images Only. British Library, 1543. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/vesalius/accessible/pages3and4.html#content
Hey Nick! This is a really good blog post! You can tell that this is something you are interested in, I really like how specific you were throughout the post. You obviously did external research and learned more about the medical scans that look almost like art. The resources you used and how well you placed the examples showed great understanding and insight, good job!
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