Reflections on Medical Technology and Art

Before this week’s content, I never really thought about how medicine, technology, and art intersect – and this has truly shifted my perception of what it means to be a doctor, and what it even means to be a patient. In What Has Art to Do with Medicine, Hajar reminds us how important empathy and human connection is, especially in highly-technical and sterile medical settings (Hajar, 2018). 



Fig. 1. Justine Cooper, “TRAP”, Pollock Krasner Image Collection, https://www.pkf-imagecollection.org/images/24727_h2048w2048gt.5.jpg


A project that stood out was Justine Cooper’s RAPT, where she uses MRI scans as a way for self-portraiture (Casini, 2011). Medical imaging is something that I usually associate with diagnosis and data, but (again) never thought that it could also be a way to explore identity, consciousness, and self-perception. The artwork is somehow eerie, beautiful, and thought-provoking all at once. In this article, MRI scanners were not just a tool of science, but also a metaphorical way to peer into the soul. 



Fig. 2. Wyss Institute at Harvard University, “Animation of a Dynein Molecule”, Wyss Institute, https://wyss-prod.imgix.net/app/uploads/2018/03/08091230/dynGif1.gif?w=1600&h=891&auto=format&q=90&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Centropy


Something else that caught my eye was The Architecture of Life, where it redefined how we should think about structure in biology. The body is not static but responsive, a dynamic architecture that responds to both compression and tension, kind of like visuals arts such as photography and sculpture (Ingber, 1998). 


Fig. 3. Carolyn Meltzer, “The Bump”, Keck School of Medicine of USC, https://today.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Carolyn_Meltzer_The-Bump-130-768x432.jpg


On a more practical level, Meltzer in Art in Medicine Helps Doctors Too talks about how she is both a neuroadiologist as well as a fine arts photography, and how the arts help her enhance her spacial awareness and acuity (Sotelo, 2024). 


Medicine and science can be deeply intertwined to bring empathy to medical settings, to create art, and to help understand medicine. 


References

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

Hajar, R. (2018). What has art to do with medicine? Heart Views, 19(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.4103/heartviews.heartviews_6_18

Ingber, D. E. (1998). The Architecture of Life. Scientific American, 278(1), 48–57. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0198-48

Sotelo, E. (2024, April 12). Art in medicine helps doctors, too. USC Today. https://today.usc.edu/art-in-medicine-helps-doctors-too/

Tyson, P. (2001, March 27). The Hippocratic Oath Today. Pbs.org; PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/

Comments

  1. Ivan DApril 26, 2025 at 5:20 PM

    Hey Kylie, I really enjoyed reading your blog! I never thought about medical imaging, like Justine Cooper's RAPT project, as a form of self-expression before this week. It’s such a new way to think about MRI scans, not just as diagnostic tools, but also as a vehicle for exploring identity and consciousness. I could relate to your insights and remembered the first time I had an x-ray and how I reflected on it after the treatment was completed. It’s not just bones and muscles that make us up, but the fact that everything is constantly shifting and adapting. Meltzer's perspective on how her art background helps her in neuroimaging was really insightful. This week’s topic is a great reminder that creativity can truly enhance our abilities in both science and medicine, showing how these fields can work together!

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  2. leenafedaDESMA9April 27, 2025 at 11:43 PM

    Hi Kylie I really enjoyed reading your reflection! I love how you emphasized that technology in medicine isn’t just clinical — it can also be a profound tool for self-expression and connection. Your point about Justine Cooper’s RAPT project stood out to me too; I hadn’t considered how something like an MRI, usually associated with diagnosis, could be reframed as a portrait of inner identity. You tied together empathy, art, and science beautifully, and I completely agree that this week really challenged how we traditionally define both doctors and patients. It’s inspiring to see how creative perspectives can humanize even the most technical aspects of medicine.

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