Medicine + Technology + Art
My dad is a radiologist. He also happens to be a naturally good artist. I think my dad represents what Silvia Casini says in her article Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations Between Science and the Arts. MRI technology is a bridge between science and the arts. It requires an artistic eye and skillful interpretation. My dad doesn't paint as a hobby or spend any free time doing anything remotely related to art, but he's able to sketch a pretty accurate depiction of something if he needs to. Whenever he needs to explain something related to anatomy when he talking to someone unfamiliar to medicine, along with "dumbing down" his medical terminology, he sketches a diagram. Regardless of what area of the body it is, he will be able to sketch an accurate portrayal of that part. He has seen so many x-rays, MRI, and CT scans while working, mentally picturing the human anatomy comes easily to him.
Sketch of Human Arm
When he draws these diagrams, it reminds me of the "Vitruvian Man" by Leonardo da Vinci. It combines science and art together in a diagram. Although my dad might not be able to draw a "golden ratio", because of his naturally artistic ability, he is able to pass effectively pass along medical information to others.
The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci
Like Professor Vesna says, technology is moving us more and more into the direction of non-invasive ways into looking into the anatomy of the body. Because of this and my dad's access to these machines, I have had countless MRI scans over the years. I'm accustomed to seeing images and scans of my own body being visually dissected. Knowing my dad, I'm sure these experiences will continue on in the future.
MRI Scan
Works Cited
Casini, S. (2011). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as mirror and portrait: MRI configurations between science and the Arts. Configurations, 19(1), 73–99. https://doi.org/10.1353/con.2011.0008
Guardian News and Media. (2022, July 17). How leonardo figured out the beauty of anatomy. The Guardian. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jul/17/how-leonardo-figured-out-the-beauty-of-anatomy
Scott Curtis, D. O. P.-R. (n.d.). MRI scan of the spine. Spine. Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/diagnostic-tests/mri-scan-spine
UCLA. (n.d.). Human Body & Medical Technologies part 2.
Vesna, Victoria. Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov. YouTube, YouTube, 9 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&t=1s. Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.
I really enjoyed your post! Thank you for sharing about your dad and making that personal connection to this week’s content. I think like you said, your dad exemplifies how as someone in science and medicine, he also utilizes art. We can see how art plays a role in the visualization of human anatomy and your example made me better understand that. I agree that technology like the MRI has made it a lot easier and accessible to examine the insides of our bodies. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI really like the connection you make between your dad's skills with both art and medical science. It reminds me of an orchestra teacher I had who would often tell us about how many doctors and surgeons would play instruments because breaking down and picking apart songs was actually a very similar mental skill to being able to mentally dissect a body. It makes a lot of sense that your dad's ability to visualize medical diagrams would translate so well into being able to depict them on paper. I think this is all very cool!
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