Week 4 - Medicine + Technology + Art

I really found that this weeks material and topic spoke to me in a larger way than the previous topics in this class. I believe this has something to do with the fact that medical technology has somewhat been a larger part of my life than most people due to the fact that I'm a student athlete. In addition, by just growing up and participating in various sports the risk of injury can go up rather than not playing a sport. I can remember when I was 13 that I had to get a few MRI's as a result of a fall I had when I was skiing. Initially the doctors believed that I tore my ACL and needed to get the images from my knee to determine the extent of my injury. On a broader spectrum the advances in medical technology have allowed doctors to explore the human body non-invasively through the use of these photos provided by MRI's, PET scans, or CT scans. This has also lead to hundreds of breakthroughs for doctors and researchers alike which in turn has contributed to saving millions of lives per year. 

This week the Professor also touched on the use of Grey's Anatomy, a medical book published by Henry Grey, which is vital to understanding the intersection of art and medical technology and or medical studies. This book comes with several diagrams and photos of various parts of the human anatomy. Without these pictures or other artistic representations, doctors would have a limited understanding of the human body and would be unable to perform the correct medical procedure based on the patients needs. Before I reviewed Grey's Anatomy I was much less educated on how the worlds of art and the medical field really intertwine and without it I believe that this world would be a much different place.

Sources: 

Fornell, Dave. "Recent Advances in MRI Technology" 

https://www.itnonline.com/article/recent-advances-mri-technology

Glatter, Robert MD. "Can Studying Art Help Medical Students Become Better Doctors" 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2013/10/20/can-studying-art-help-medical-students-become-better-doctors/#426ce5664cdb

"Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography (PET/CT)" 

https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=pet 

Rosenhek, Jackie. "Dissecting Grey's Anatomy" 

http://www.doctorsreview.com/history/dissecting-grays-anatomy/ 

UCSF Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging. "MRI Safety" 

https://radiology.ucsf.edu/patient-care/patient-safety/mri 

Week 3 - Art & Robotics

This week the topic of discussion was the emergence and the continued but  eventual merger between art and industrialization along with robotics. The connection between robotics and art can be traced back to the enlightenment period with Gutenberg's printing press. However, it wasn't until the industrial revolution where the paths of art and robotics really came together. In Lecture Part 1, the professor discusses the genius behind the printing press that paved the way for information to be mass produced throughout the world during the Renaissance period. I see the marvel of the printing press along with other machinery as the beginning of a domino effect that gave way to other enlightenment thinkers to not only share their knowledge but progress their work in ways that they were unable to do prior to these technological advancements.

Additionally, the creation of robots has had far reaching benefits to our society. It has allowed us to simplify and efficiently mass produce items such as cars or other everyday house hold items. Henry Ford for example was the first to introduce the assembly line for his company Ford. This form of manufacturing was a milestone for industrial revolution and would go on to be the most widely used form of manufacturing worldwide even to this day.

In terms of the relationship between robotics and art it is clear to me that this dynamic duo works only to its benefit. One of the best examples of this partnership between technology and art can be found with the arrival of the camera which is eloquently stated by Walter Benjamin when he says, "the camera introduces us to unconscious optics as does psychoanalysis to unconscious impulses." 

Sources:

Hackett, Lewis. "Industrial Revolution"
http://history-world.org/Industrial%20Intro.htm

New York Daily News. "Ford's Assembly Line Turns 100: How it Changed Manufacturing and Society"
http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/ford-assembly-line-turns-100-changed-society-article-1.1478331

Palermo, Elizabeth. "Who Invented the Printing Press"
https://www.livescience.com/43639-who-invented-the-printing-press.html

Rieland, Randy. "7 Ways Technology is Changing How Art is Made"
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/7-ways-technology-is-changing-how-art-is-made-180952472/

Thein, Ming. "The Line Between Art and Photography"
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ming-thein/art-and-photography_b_4297646.html



Pictures:

Assembly Line. http://theoldmotor.com/?p=154610

Printing Press. http://cronkitehhh.jmc.asu.edu/blog/2015/04/disruptive-innovation/

Robots in Assembly Line. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/robot-kills-worker-on-assembly-line-raising-concerns-about-human-robot-collaboration/

Event 1

As I attended this fantastic event one thing in particular stood out to me. While the topic of bread may be somewhat vague or one dimensional the concept of the project speaks volumes in regards to overlying themes in art. This project gives anyone the opportunity to express a feeling that they possess in regards to society through the lens of their drawing of bread. However, the depiction of how the individual perceives the bread sheds light on to how that individual views the world at the time of the drawing. Bread has left several imprints throughout history ranging from beyond the times of Ancient Egypt to as far as the Holocaust where bread was viewed as a symbol of hope throughout the concentration camps. As if it were a fingerprint every individuals drawing is unique and unlike anyone else's drawing. In my opinion one of the most important themes in art is the value of the individual and how no one form of art or one drawing is better than the next. Art is a spectacular vehicle for individuals to depict a larger picture in which they release and advertise their own personal commentary on society or life as a whole. It is through this project of collective bread diaries that this is masterfully accomplished. I would recommend this event to anyone who believes or is interested in finding out how depicting something as simple as bread can tell a remarkable story that encapsulates centuries of history.