Week 4: MedTech and Art

The human body as a medium of art is not a new idea. Medical technology, especially the technology involved with plastic surgery and prosthetics, is quickly shifting and innovating with each year to create a more beautiful form of the human body. Specifically, this technology is aimed at achieving a certain artistic standard of body beauty. What defines this standard is different for each person, which has been central to the evolution of prosthetic limbs.

Old Prosthetics

One industrial designer, Scott Summit, began a studio that redefined the design of prosthetic limbs. Whereas before, prosthetic limbs were crafted to be purely impersonal and mechanical pieces of technology, he innovated prosthetics that artistically epitomized the personality of each person. No more was prosthetics to be about a bare minimum of functionality. Instead, the art of sculpture was combined with prosthetics technology to create a piece of art that was personalized and creative.

Sporty designed prosthetic by Scott Summit for an amputee whose passion is soccer

Another prosthetics designer, Sophie de Oliveira Barata, has taken the artistic prosthetics one step farther to create even more creative pieces of art. Her prosthetic limbs are meant to be noticeable and distinct for each person. They stand out and shout uniqueness and empower amputees to be confident about their disability.

Viktoria Modesta wearing Sophie de Oliveira Barata designed Crystal Leg

Prosthetics is the epitome of art and medical technology combined. Prosthetics have changed to have the potential whatever the individual wants, whether that be realistic, artistic, or surreal. It has allowed people to define their own standard of beauty and be able to live it.

References

Anthony, Andrew. "Meet the Woman Who Turns Artificial Limbs into Works of Art." The Guardian. N.p., 28 Dec. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fartanddesign%2F2013%2Fdec%2F29%2Fartificial-limbs-art-de-oliveira-barata-interview>. 

Artificial Limbs Picture. Digital image. HealthTap. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <https://edc2.healthtap.com/ht-staging/user_answer/reference_image/6386/large/Artificial_limbs.jpeg?1386669735>. 

Barata, Sophie De Oliveira, Nadav Kander, and Omkaar Kotedia. Crystal Leg. Digital image. The Alternative Limb Project. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.thealternativelimbproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ALT-LIMB-Viktoria-Modesta-II-NOT-PUBLISHED.jpg>. 

Barata, Sophie De Oliveira. "Studio." The Alternative Limb Project. 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.thealternativelimbproject.com/about/studio/>. 

Beautiful Artificial Limbs: Scott Summit at TEDx Cambridge 2011. Dir. Scott Summit. Perf. Scott Summit. TED. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <https://www.ted.com/talks/scott_summit_beautiful_artificial_limbs>. 

Gutierrez, Jene. "Prosthetic Limbs as Art: Sophie De Oliveira Barata's Alternative Limb Project." Beautiful/Decay Artist Design. 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://beautifuldecay.com/2013/11/18/prosthetic-limbs-art-sophie-de-oliveira-baratas-alternative-limb-project/>. 

Noe, Ryan. "Interview with Scott Summit of Bespoke Innovations, Creator of Kick-ass Prosthetics." CORE77. 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.core77.com/posts/18167/interview-with-scott-summit-of-bespoke-innovations-creator-of-kick-ass-prosthetics-18167>. 

Noe, Ryan. Soccer Prosthetic. Digital image. CORE77. 20 Dec. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2010/12/0bespoinnovi5.jpg>.