Living Breathing Art: The Complexity of the Human Body and the Blank Canvas by Anubhav Chandla

This week’s material on Med-Tech and Art was both fascinating and relatable on a personal level. As an individual who has personally experienced numerous surgeries and has seen loved ones go through medical ailments needing surgery and treatment, the impact of the medical field has been important for my own development as a student and aspiring physician. Furthermore, the interconnectedness of art and medicine, was even more fascinating, as it revealed that the complexity of the human body is not only a product of biological function but artistic expression as well (Ingber 1). 

Van Gogh's Skin by Mark Hutchin

This can specifically be seen through the artwork above which depicts basal skin carcinoma induced in mice through Immunohistochemistry expression. While immunohistochemistry analysis uses various colors to visualize different aspects of human microbiology, its applications as a form of artistic expression reveal how the body is yet another canvas for us to live and breathe our creative expression (Boisson et al 3). 

Family Portrait, 2002; Dad, Mum, Sophie, and Self-portrait by Marilene Oliver

Various contemporary pieces also show this intersection between understanding the human body through art. As discussed by Dr. Abbot, the common artist and medical professional mirror very similar lines of reasoning as both try to better understand the biology of the human body, while also expressing their own experience and skill in their respective fields (Abbott 1). This relationship is also seen historically, where artists were the first ones to anatomically understand the human body and its complexities as a structural figure (Kornell 1). An example of this relation between the artist and human anatomy is shown below

Dissection of Chest and Abdomen by Joseph Maclise

Furthermore, as an undergraduate researcher here at UCLA, it was interesting to see how MRIs, a common diagnostic tool in the hospital, were used as a canvas for artistic expression. The article by Silvia Casini was especially impactful as I understood the artistic value of MRIs as a window into the soul of the human body (Casini 73). This is seen in the MRI art piece below where a medical diagnostic device is used as a "painting tool".

MRI Mirror Art 

Text References 

Ingber, D E. “The architecture of life.” Scientific American vol. 278,1 (1998): 48-57. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0198-48

Boisson, Anaïs, et al. “Fluorescent Multiplex Immunohistochemistry Coupled With Other State-Of-The-Art Techniques to Systematically Characterize the Tumor Immune Microenvironment.” Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, vol. 8, 2021. Frontiers, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2021.673042.

Abbott, Wynn. “Feature: Medical Interventions—Visual Art Meets Medical Technology.” The Lancet, vol. 368, Dec. 2006, pp. S17–18. www.thelancet.com, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69910-8.

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as mirror and portrait: MRI configurations between science and the arts.” Configurations vol. 19,1 (2011): 73-99. doi:10.1353/con.2011.0008

Kornell, Monique. “It Takes Artists and Scientists to Understand the Human Body.” Getty, https://www.getty.edu/news/it-takes-artists-and-scientists-to-understand-the-human-body/. 

Media References 

Oliver, Marilene. “Family Portrait, Dad, Mum, Self-Portrait and Sophie (2002).” Beaux Arts London, https://www.beauxartslondon.uk/beaux-5/. 

Maclise, Joseph. “Dissection of Chest and Abdomen.” Getty Research Institute, https://www.getty.edu/research/exhibitions_events/exhibitions/anatomy/. 

Hutchin, Mark. “Van Gogh's Skin.” Cell Press, Cell Pres, https://www.cell.com/pictureshow/art-under-the-microscope. 

Taylor, Ashley  P. “Spotlight: The Art of MRI.” SCIART MAGAZINE, https://www.sciartmagazine.com/spotlight-the-art-of-mri.html.