This week’s lessons were engaging in a way that speaks
personally to my own life experiences as an individual living in a world of
interconnected biological realities, technological remedies, and artistic
representations of struggle and pain relief. As a person living with severe
Crohn’s disease – a chronic inflammatory immune deficiency disease that causes extensive
damage throughout my digestive and endocrine system and constant pain
throughout my body – I can relate on a very intimate level to the exploration
of virtual reality technologies as an artistic outlet for pain and a viable
technological outlet to supplement biological care in situations where
traditional medicinal concepts of pain relief do not help. In this blog post, I
would like to unpack the artistic applications of medicine and technology in
the context of my experience with Crohn’s disease, my changing body, and
medicine.
 |
| This self-portrait, by an artist with Crohn's disease, symbolizes how images of biological health and realities impact how those with chronic disease, like myself and this artist, shape how we perceive and project ourselves. (http://artsblog.dallasnews.com/2013/05/los-angeles-based-artist-daniel-leighton-addresses-the-issues-of-crohns-disease-and-colitis-by-doing-a-benefit-at-waas-gallery.html/) |
One of the first challenges related to my condition was the
fragility of the human body, and this was a concept with which I struggled
throughout my diagnosis period and initial treatment. Understanding the
interconnectedness of pain, the nervous system, and biofeedback as a mechanism
that proliferates complex signals of damage and repair throughout my body even
as my health falters brings a certain light of beauty to even the darkest
moments, and expressing this beauty in artistic terms as conceptually beautiful
highlights the interaction between art, biology, and medicine discussed in our
lecture. In the same way that we treat MRI scanning images as a performative –
and very much interactive - reflection of our selves, so I see a complex, morbid, and simultaneously beautiful reflection of disease, biofeedback, and treatment in images of my
body that show how this disease has changed my interior and exterior over the
years.
 |
| This comic representation of Crohn's disease shows the psychological self-portrait of chronic disease coupled with the perception of biological reality, distorted by treatements and interactions with medical professionals. |
Perhaps the most relatable moment of this week and of this
class so far was my experience viewing Diane Gromala’s TEDx talk (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=16&v=cRdarMz--Pw) . I have also
sought virtual reality as an alternative to severe pain, and have experienced
first-hand the technological bio-feedback integration mechanisms developed by
her team to bring people into contact with their inner senses. These have
far-reaching implications for how we perceive our inner senses, and our inner
selves. For me, appreciating the beauty of being in touch with myself through
my experiences in a virtual reality brought a level of inner peace that I
cannot truly describe in words, and experiencing the inner beauty of my own
response to pain, distraction, and sensory conflict was a life-changing experience.
References
Choueiry,
Sarah. "A Comic About Crohn's Disease by Mike - The Crohn's Journey
Foundation." The Crohns Journey Foundation. N.p., 09 Jan. 2013. Web. 27
Apr. 2015.
"Crohn's
& Colitis." CCFA: What Is Crohn's Disease. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr.
2015.
Granberry, Micheal, and Daniel Leighton. "Los
Angeles-based Artist Daniel Leighton Addresses the Issues of Crohn’s Disease
and Colitis by Doing a Benefit at Waas Gallery." Center Stage. N.p., n.d.
Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
Gromala, Diane. "TEDxAmericanRiviera - Diane Gromala -
Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 28 Apr.
2015.
VRMC USA. "VRMC | About Us | Virtual Reality." VRMC | About Us | Virtual Reality. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
