Mitchell Edwards Art & Design (Level 6)

  Welcome to my Art & Design blog where I will be documenting my Art practise during the final year of my degree, Hope you enjoy your stay and you can find my level 4 & 5 blog here : mitchelledwards-art 

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Final display and evaluation 

Here is a image which showcase the finished final display ready for the degree show, it consists of two Di-bond blueprints and three anatomical models of the heart.

I think that the work is very successful in terms of fulfilling the brief at the start of the project to discuss how technological advancements will effect the medical industry and the integration between technology inside the body.

I think that the prints are successful as they give the audience a deeper understanding of how the company that produces these hearts which I created (Biotech) operates in the future and they also give a better understanding of how the products work especially when they discuss what each part of the heart MK 2 does.

The display as a whole is good because it has enough space around the base for the audience to move around and interact with the models from all angles and is also at a good height and with to suit the needs of the public.

I have also added a spotlight above the plinth so that the models will be well lit meaning the viewer will be able to get a detailed look at the plinths even in low light.

The models in which I have created show a variety of different options when it comes to choosing what upgrade you want each has a specific purpose.

Which Model works best ?

In my opinion I find the model on the right to be the best in terms of finish because of its shape which is simple in comparison to the others it made it easier to apply paint to the Model.

I also really like the 3D printed one in the centre, however when getting a model 3D printed it leaves a lot of support material which is hard to remove fully therefore it leaves a rough edge on the bottom, if I were to remake these I would consider getting the 3D printed ones done by an external company that uses a more advanced 3D printer which will reduce the amount of support material present.

Overall as a collective they are highly successful as they help educate the public on what the heart transplants look like and work perfectly alongside the 2 dimensional works to strengthen the narrative and effectively communicate the futuristic body shop aesthetic.

The plinth also played a big part in terms of display, it uses its complex shape and colours to represent the medical future themes whilst still allowing the plinth to be functional.

Evaluation

As I mentioned earlier I think that the work is very successful in terms of fulfilling the brief at the start of the project to discuss how technological advancements will effect the medical industry and the integration between technology inside the body.

I will use this evaluation to discuss things that went well and things that didn’t within the project and how I would make changes if I were to repeat the process.

What went well :

* I really enjoyed using different forms of making and drawing techniques to develop ideas throughout the project, especially the digital forms of making like solidworks, photoshop, 2d design which are all programs which I am confident in and for me moving between the two dimensional and three dimensional forms is the way I like to make.

* I found that creating a narrative really helped to fully form my ideas, I created a narrative by creating a company, logo and Olympic event although If I had more time I think that I would expand on these a little bit more.

* Experimenting with different material processes when making models even low-fi helped to develop my ideas further through making and gave me an idea of the materials that worked in terms of my themes and skill set.

What could be improved upon :

* I found it was hard to mange my time in some aspects of the project like when making my three dimensional models and plinths, even though I started making them in advance the nature of the making with the models it took several bookable slots to get each section of a model cut. I tried to counter this by booking slots as soon as they became available on moodle and also booking slots at Parkside for when the Margret street workshop was full.

* Research during the project I have conducted a lot of research but I found that the subject of medical science was a very broad one and it was hard to narrow down to a specific aspect. If I were to re do the project I would pick a specific body part and medical advancement from the offset.

In-conclusion I think the modelling and generating of ideas, research went quite well but my time management and narrowing down my ideas to a specific subject could be refined in future projects.

During my three years at Margret street I have been able to develop my practice and I have been very happy with the final outcome of my project overall and I think that the final degree show will be an exciting one considering all of the work we have produced as a collective.

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Refining Models 

Above are my final models however through discussions with my teachers and my own observations I have found that they could do with a little more work when trying to achieve the best quality finish.

Issues with the models :

* spray paint sometimes spits and runs to fast meaning that an additional layer of excess paint has been added creating an uneven finish.

*little grains of hand have got stuck to the model and created bumps in the paint.

*on the third model the pieces no longer fit because the paint once again has added thickness to the material.

What I did to fix the issues :

1. removing excess paint with sand paper and delicately with a craft knife.

Sanding down the material to make the surfaces smooth took a while and was a continuous process because after spraying more excess paint and problems will occur so to get the best finish it is a case of sanding a re sanding after each layer of paint has been applied .

Time taken : two hours per model.

2.removing sand and dirt.

In order to not get the same problems in terms of little grains getting stuck to the model I went round each sculpture with a brush and removed all excess waste material.

Time taken : 20 minutes.

3. After all of the dirt and grains of sand were removed it was then time for a respray.

In order to ensure that the paint didn’t go on too think I held the can at a distance to the piece and did several thin coats.

This process took around 30 minutes per model each having a respray after they were dry.

4. the final step in ensuring my plinths were to there highest quality was to remove and dirt or marks, I used a wet wipe for this because its fibres don’t stick the exterior of the model.

It sounds like a simple process but it really does make all the difference in quality of the final pieces.

Time taken :15 minutes 

Once all of these steps were finished and repeated until they were of the highest quality they were then ready to be displayed in the work in progress show.

Above is a photo of the final finished models that have been sanded, resprayed and cleaned so that they are of the upmost quality to be presented.

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Making MDF models 

Above is the making process of the MDF hearts that I created which were inspired by buildings and other body implants.

The process for making these models is quite simple but is time consuming in terms of assembly and finish.

Stage 1 :

The first stage of making is to design all of the individual pieces on 2d design which can then be cut and assembled using pva glue.

stage 2 : when applying the pva glue it is important to not use too much glue and any excess glue should be wiped away with a tissue.

stage 3 : spraying each model using matt spray paint was the third stage although this had to be done in several thin coats.

stage 4 : sanding, smoothing of the model : after spraying each section the pieces then have to be smoothed to ensure a high quality finish meaning any excess paint and waste material should be removed.

stage 5 : respray : the models must be resprayed to get any areas that have been missed or any areas that have been revealed due to the sanding.

stage 6 : cleaning : after all of the previous steps are complete the model should then be cleaned with a set cloth or baby wipes to remove any marks which are noticeable against the matt paint which picks up dirt easily.

In total the making of each layered piece took about a week top make which includes everything from spraying, drying time and assembly.

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Genetic or mechanical upgrades ?

During my project I am discussing different ways to improve the body using technological advancements the two which I am most interested in are genetic enhancements and mechanical upgrades.

At this stage in the project I think that it is important to figure out which one I should take forward within my project.

The work which I have produced thus far has been primarily based on improving the heart and after looking at the history of the heart transplant It has become clear to me that the future of improving the human heart will be largely based on mechanical design methodologies.

With the fact that the future of the heart will be a mechanical one and also the fact that I have always been intrigued by the cyborg and how they fit into society I have decided that I shall focus my project on technological/mechanical upgrades rather than genetic ones.

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The Post Human, Rosi Braidotti ,2013

I have found the Book the post human to be extremely relevant when discussing the post human society, the post human not only discusses what the word post human means but it also looks at what it is to be human and how a post human society would function.

The book also discusses rights movements of today like feminism which are relevant to the post human theory because the post human theory has been discussed heavily in feminism.

Feminists argue that feminism should not be seen as a humanism, the chapter discusses what being human actually means because it is not as clear cut as it seems.

He discusses the rights and equality of men and women in today's society and the fact that the definition of the word ‘human’ is actually just a social construct. 

Race and gender should be considered as social constructs and should be seen as equals this theory can also be applied to the post human society and although they are made up of a different set of parts they should still be seen as equals to their human counterparts.

Below are some quotes which I have found informative in relation to equality and ethics within society :

“Race is not biological. It is a social construct. There is no gene or cluster of genes common to all blacks or all whites. Were race “real” in the genetic sense, racial classifications for individuals would remain constant across boundaries.” 

“Feminism builds on the Human, the principle that ‘women is the measure of all things female’ and that to account for herself, the feminist philosopher needs to take into account the situation of all women.”

For me the most important quote is seen directly below it again speaks about equality but it is specific to the post human theory, it describes the post human society as a new way of thinking and a new sense of community where all beings should exist as one.

“The post human does not mean to be indifferent to humans, or to be de-humanised. On the contrary, it rather implies a new way of combining ethical values with the well-being of enlarged sense of community, which includes one’s territorial or environmental interconnections.”

“Post Human theory also bases the theory relation on positive grounds of joint projects and activities, not on the negative or reactive grounds of shared vulnerability.”

I agree with Rosi Braidotti I see the post human as the next step in human evolution and this should not be seen as a negative thing just because of the way in which cyborgs have been depicted in movies, it will be a constructive society rather than a destructive one.

Through reading this text I have got an idea of what post humanism is and how its theory can be applied to social and ethical issues of today which has helped me to understand how the post human society will operate within my practice.

[mitchelledwards]

A Brief History of Heart Transplantation

In a recent research article published by the Columbia university medical centre the history of the heart transplant is discussed from 1700′s to early 1900′s. I found this article to be highly informative especially during the early stages of the project as it discusses how the heart transplant came to be and how the process of heart transplants have become more efficient in recent years.

My project discusses what the future of the heart transplant will be like and what it would be like if we replaced the heart completely with a mechanical heart, by looking back at technological advancements that have already happened I can begin to think about what will come next as technology evolves.

The article starts by discussing the many failures that occurred during the first stages of heart transplants and the fact that they had their first big success when they discovered a link between successful transplants and blood types  “ that graft success was more likely when the donor and recipient shared a blood relationship."

After the blood type connection was discovered it took over 40 years for the first ever heart transplant was made possible when in 1967 a south African man had his heart replaced with someone else’s, the doctors who completed the operation were awarded a Nobel prize for their work.

“In 1958, Dickinson Richards, MD, chairman of the Columbia University Medical Division, and Andre Cournaud were awarded the same Nobel Prize for their work leading to fuller understanding of the physiology of the human heart using cardiac catheterization.”

In my opinion this changed the medical industry completely because before we didn’t have a complete understanding of the human heart, by fully understanding the complexities of the organ, doctors have been able to make the quality of life better for so many people and change the way that we think about medicine.

Before the heart transplant doctors would have searched for temporary fixes rather than permanent ones and because the heart is such a fragile structure if damaged it never fully recovers.

What I found most informative about this article is when mechanical devices that assist the heart are discussed and how they can help to solve the need for the shortage of organs available for transplants.

It says that it is circuital to increase research in this area and describes it as the next stage in transplant history and that the stakes are high “stakes are high to continue research in this arena.”

By looking at this article it has given me an in-depth idea of how the heart transplant has developed over the years and has indicated that the mechanical heart will be the future of the heart transplant.

A brief history of  Heart Transplantation, Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Surgery, New York, NY. website (2018)

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Logo development 

Above I have developed my logo design further, the initial design was taken form my set of logo ideas which I done previous. 

The initial design was a pencil sketch I have improved the quality of the logo above by using programmes like illustrator and Photoshop to create a cleaner, bolder final logo.

I chose this logo because I like the fact that it is very formal which I think is very important considering that my company is a medical organisation which will act as a public service for future society therefore it should be taken seriously hense why I have also used a formal font.

The font that I have used is Agency FB which has also been adopted by Nike during the 2010 Olympics and I am creating prosthetic organs for athletes of the future therefore the font is a reference to sports advertisements and adds context to my project whilst still providing a bold, formal exterior. 

The colours that I have used consist of a few shades of blue and black, I used these colours as they are colours which are widely used by medical practices in their logos and they personify the medical industry.

The shades of blue and white are very calm colours which puts the mind at ease this is important in the medical industry because some patients may be going through I hard time and colours like red may evoke other emotions like anger and frustration.

The most relevant example which I have looked at would be the NHS logo which is very well known in the uk being the nations main source of health care.

As you can see the NHS logo uses a similar colour palette to the one which I have used and also a very bold font.

Within my design I have created a letter on the left to accompany the text in the shape of a ‘B’ and within this letter I have incorporated the letter ‘T’ together they hint at the word biotech.

The logo seen above was cred using Illustrator and Photoshop using a series of layer and many different line tools, it was quite difficult to get the complicated shapes when creating the letters I achieved this by creating reference lines that  were deleted later.

The drawing of the design in the for-mentioned digital programs took around 1 hr 30 minutes.

I have created the logo to act as a tie in to the narrative to my project to connect everything together, all of the models and prints that I make going forward will have the company logo.

Logos are a big part of advertisement and every logo has a story most consumers buy things depending on the brand, within my project it is especially important to establish a trusted brand because when creating a new company that alters the body you want the public to trust the company and a logo makes up a big part of that.

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Removing excess material from three dimensional models

When having my model 3D printed I found that a large support material is attached which I then removed individually with pliers, after which a crinkly edge is left which I then used a grinder to remove.

The support material is one of three disadvantages that I have discovered with 3D printing.

*Support material

*expensive 

* time consuming - to print my model it took 3 days which if I hadn't booked the workshop on Friday would take more than 20 appointments/workshop bookings.

Removing the excess material has been quite a lengthy process which took days to complete but is important when thinking about the quality and finish of the finished model.

After grinding the edges of the model I will the give the piece a light sand until it has a smooth finish.

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Post Human Olympics

The Post human Olympics is a third Olympic event that is held every 5 years and is an athletic games whereby people who are considered ‘enhanced’ and ‘post human’ can compete.

The first Enhanced Olympics was held in 2029 when several companies like bio tech started to create enhanced prosthetic’s that considerably changed what the body of the 21st century is capable of.

The third event is necessary because humans who have been enhanced by technology would have a considerable advantage of those that compete in the regular Olympics and para Olympics.

Along with any sporting event there is a set of rules that every competing athlete must follow :

* All bodily enhancements must have been installed at least 1 year before the event this means that the technological or bio enhancements can be judged for safety purposes.

* Enhancements must be installed legally by a registered company.

* Aesthetes must not exceed two enhancements installed or implemented on the body at any one time.

* Must undergo a body scan before competing.

To compete in the post human Olympics please refer to the website : BecomeMore.com or use the QTZ code found at a body enhancement company.

The post human Olympics is part of the narrative which I have weaved into my project, the company which I have created called biotech will supply athletes with upgrades which will allow them to compete in this new found sporting event.

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Digital Sketch 2 

Here is another variant of a digital drawing that I have created although this is different in comparison to the last as the valve system is a lot larger in size and would likely be used by athletes performing highly physical activities that put strain on the body.

I have used a thick line drawing style to communicate my idea through this drawing which allows me to present a simple sketch which can be refereed back to during the stages of making later on in the project.

What I like most about this design is it’s cylindrical shape which is a new take on what the heart might come to look like which has been inspired by the original heart which starts of as a small width and expands and then meets back up at the top. 

Another inspiration behind the drawings was the automobile industry and other mechanical/prosthetic devices which are always very sleek and has a very ergonomic shape.

The emphases on the industrial look is due to the fact that this is a mechanical heart which will be heavily influenced by industrial processes and use industrial materials like steel in its making.

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Digital sketch 

Most of my recent drawings and generating of ideas has come through the form of digital drawings above is a concept for a valve heart design where by it can be separated into 5 different parts and each existing part serves a different function.

The main function of the top pieces is to feed the blood around the body for example as like any heart it needs to be connected to the veins where the blood is pushed around the body.

The tubes that are connected to the valve system will be extremely thin so that they can be genetically attached/ grafted onto the veins.

Overall I ma extremely pleased with the quality of this drawing as it is reflects my designs more accurately than pencil drawings do and resembles that of a mechanical drawing whereby you can see the piece in 3 dimensions especially the top half of the model.

I will develop this idea further by attempting to create a three dimensional model which will help me to visualise how the product might operate and what it will look like when made.

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Making my plinths

I have designed my plinth with a futuristic design, aesthetic in mind, I looked at different display methods which include : medical displays, technology and other means of display used to depict futuristic medical tech.

I started by drawing a few different variations of the plinth and I went for a design that has many chamfered edges and a top platform in which my models and prints can be displayed on.

During this blog post I will discuss the making of my plinth step by step to show all of the making processes that I have used, whilst also thinking about what worked and what didn't work so well.

Stage 1 : The first stage was to mark out the different edges and shape of the top layer so that I could check the measurements were correct. I then added masking tape over the pencil markings so I could get a better visual image of how the top layer will look.

The sheet of wood was found in the workshop and was the same measurements length wise of my plinth however I got a fresh piece of wood when making my structure.

Measurements of the top of plinth : 6 x 2 ft allowing for plenty of space for my work to be displayed.

Stage 2 : Once my MDF had been cut I then used a set square to mark all of the corners.

Stage 3 : After marking out all of the edges of my plinth I then used a circular saw to cut the corners in the mid section of the design which would be hard to reach when using a band saw. when using a circular saw I used a piece of steel so that I could make the measurements as accurate as possible.

Although the circular saw gave a nice smooth cut there were still some edges that would need to be smoothed out later but this can be expected when using hand tools.

Above is an image of the Titan circular saw in which I used the angle was set to suit each cut, the corners for example required a 45 degree angle.

Stage 4 : After cutting the mid section I then cut the other corners on the outside of the MDF using a band saw.

Stage 5 : Once all of the corners had been cut I then made side pieces which would fit on the bottom of the plinth to give it a little thickness originally these pieces were going to go all the way to the floor however I thought that the open plinth design gave a better overall look.

The lengthy side pieces in which I just mentioned gave the plinth a chunky, block like look which was too bulky. the smaller pieces that were about 10 cm in length allowed the models to breath more and also complemented the aesthetic of the exhibition which had many open plinths.

In the picture below I started to place all of the sides onto the bottom layer of the plinth to give me an idea of how the design will look.

Stage 6 : In-order to give the surrounding wall some stability I added pieces of wood to the inside layer which was about 1 cm away from the edge, the sides would then be fixed using screws onto the wooden inner layer.

Stage 7 : The bottom layer was then attached using screws each screw was fixed and a countersink was added so that they could be filled afterwards.

This was achieved using a titan drill and two three drill bits the first to drill holes in the top layer of the plinth, the second was used to drill the screws into the plinth and the final was a counter sink drill bit which is considerably larger in thickness.

This was a tricky process as everything had to be done in line with the edges and it meant turning the model over to add each piece of MDF individually.

Adding the bottom layer to the plinth left lots of spaces between each partition due to the angle that the sides were made therefore these parts of the plinth were filled and smoothed.

Stage 8 : At this stage I had a lot of rough edges and screw holes, filler was added to add thickness to some parts of the piece and to fill all holes. I then smoothed down all of the filled holes/rough edges so that they would be smooth for ready for painting.

I used 120 grit sand paper and sanding took a considerable amount of time because I wanted to achieve a good/smooth finish on the plinth to make sure it was made to a high standard ready for the public show.

Stage 9 : now that the bulk of the plinth had been constructed I then began to make the top layer of the design which would house my models,the box will sit directly in the centre of the structure.

The box was made using the band saw to cut each side of the box and then all glued together using gorilla glue and clamps to keep each side in place. 

Two side pieces were also made and a top layer which the models would sit on these were also attached in the for-mentioned way.

When adding the glue it was important not to add too much so that there wouldn’t be any excess pva around the MDF, I used tissue to wipe away any excess glue.

Stage 10 : After all of the previous steps were complete I then attached the legs to the plinth which were originally 4 feet high however after attaching each leg I decided that the structure was too tall therefore I removed the legs and took away half a foot off each leg so that they would suit the height of everyone at the exhibition.

Above is an image that shows the plinth at the current stage before adding a layer of primer.

The plinth has six legs to ensure stability I was very happy with how stable the model is and how strong it was. It would take an extreme force to knock over the structure this means that the plinth is safe for the public to interact with. 

Stage 11 : The next stage was to add a thin layer of primer which will act as the first coat of paint, I wanted to make the primer thin by adding water to ensure that the finish was smooth and to prevent lumps in the paint.

Stage 12 : Next I gave the plinth another light sand to make sure that all of the edges were smooth ensuring that the public wouldn’t get any splinters or cuts when interacting with the structure.

The further sanding also made sure the plinth was completely smooth and to a high quality.

Stage 13 : The final stage was to add another coat of paint, the second coat was grey and matched the other elements of the exhibition.

The plinth took around 3 weeks to make due to the availability of the workshops I had to wait a while to get everything cut, If I were to put a number on it in how many hours it took I would say around 20 including all of the sanding and smoothing I have done to ensure it was to a high quality.

Above is an image of the finished plinth which although took a considerable amount of time to make due to its complex shape/design it was very exciting to see it at its final stage.

Overall I am very happy with the quality of the plinth and the fact that it is safe for the public to interact with due of its stability and all of the edges being smoothed/ sanded which prevents cuts and splinters.

I also like the grey colour which suits the exhibition perfectly , initially I wanted the colour white but I think the exhibit matching was more important for the degree show.

I will now discuss where the plinth will go with the tutors and rest of the exhibition team making sure that it doesn’t clash with any other work and that it has enough space for the public to move around it which is important because the models should be viewed at all angles as they are three dimensional.

[mitchelledwards]

Robocop 

When considering the merger of man and machine within my project Robocop comes to mind not only was it one of the first times we seen a cyborg as the main character of a Hollywood block buster, but it discusses the ethics of becoming a cyborg and builds a narrative around how a future medical practice would operate.

Robocop is set in a future utopia where society has collapsed in order to prevent crime mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products creates a cyborg to prevent crime.

They turn Alex Murphy a former cop who is heavily injured after being shot and tortured by a gang of criminals into a cyborg they replace almost all of his body parts with cybernetics apart from is brain.

After becoming a cyborg Robocop’s mission is to serve and protect

Murphy’s brain is still intact this begs the question what happens if we go too far if we become to change the body to the point we are more machine than human ?

Is it ethical to make man a machine if they still feel, if they still have human emotion.

Below is a scene from the 1987 movie where Alex Murphy starts to remember being shot and killed this makes him start to feel emotions like vengeance and pain things that Robots should not be able to comprehend.

I think that their is a lot of realism within this scene when considering future cybernetics, it shows that if we replaced everything but the brain we would begin to question weaver we are robot or human and this would create many issues mentally, we would question morality and our own existence which would cause problems for future society.

I have considered replacing the brain within my project but Robocop has made me consider a few things.

If I were to replace the brain would it be safe to keep the memories of the former human being or would this cause a similar effect to that of the Robocop movie ?

Today we are already creating robots that can feel, this could also prove dangerous because if robots in the future start to disagree with their human counterparts robot vs human may become a reality.

Is it ethical to remove all emotion to a human being , even if they have been killed and resurrected do we have the right ?

Robocop, MGM (1987).

The next scene which is situated below shows Alex Murphy questioning his own existence.

He is being asked a series of questions the dialog is as follows ?

- Are you Alex Murphy? + No. 

 - Are you human? + No. 

 - You are simply a machine. + I am... a machine. 

 - Nothing more. + Nothing more.

When asked are you Human Alex answers no, I am a Robot nothing more Although his facial expression indicates he (Robocop) can still feel emotion, he still resmbles a high percentage of his former self, more than the scientists who want to control him would like.

Again questioning the morality of such a project is it right to take away a persons ability to think independent thoughts to reprogram them to become machine ? 

Robocop, MGM (1987). 

Robocop, MGM (2014).

The final video is from the latest Robocop movie and delves a little deeper into the ethics of human becoming a robot.

I know its real I can feel all of this Alex states and then goes on to say what have you done to me before running away.

He still feels by definition he is more human than robot yet his body has been modified to the point where it is only 10 percent human.

What I like most about Robocop in relation to my project is the narrative that they have created and which is very realistic it has gave me an idea of how the medical industry and society might operate within the future.

When analysing the medical practise that Robocop has created I found that although it is very industrial / technological it has a clean white undertone, with the white lab coats and pure white lab setting which resembles much of the medical industry today.

The pure white aesthetic I was discussing is best seen in the photo below :

I am also using the white medical theme within my project because when I think of the future I think of a very clean sleek medical industry which combines new technologies and offers a hygienic environment.

The colour white is very calming, when asking the future society to join these technological advancements and alter their body which can seem a scary thing with the way cyborgs have been discussed in pop culture, the colour white will help to set consumers at rest.

If you had a medical practise that was black in colour this would have very different and dark connotations.

When Robocop was released in 1987 it was seen as SCI - FI however many elements of the film seem like realistic depictions of the future because we are already seeing technological advancements in medicine that have made cybernetics possible everything from printing skin to artificial limbs which in 1987 might have been thought of as fiction.

Many others have also questioned the realism within Robocop some stating that this may be closer to reality than fiction as I suggested earlier, below is an article which discusses all of the elements of Robocop in detail to show how Robocop is slowly becoming a reality.

Additional Resources I have looked at :

The first Article by Gizmodo below talks about a Robot cop that is already in development :

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/10/a-real-life-robocop-is-in-development/

Article 2 :

https://www.wired.com/2014/02/robocop-science/

The article above Wired suggests that “we are 100 years away from a real Robocop.”

The wired Article breaks down all of the technologies that Robocop uses to discuss how feasible making a Robocop would be in the 21st century everything from prosthetics controlled by the brain to battery life.

After looking at Robocop I have gained an insight of how a narrative can be created when discussing the future of medical science whilst also getting an in-depth look at the moral issues when creating a cyborg both things that will help to shape my project going forward.

[mitchelledwards]

The Ethics of man becoming Machine

My project focuses on altering the human body by using prosthetic organs to increase the human bodies capabilities, I have developed a heart prototype that will be used in the future and some might consider this against nature and therefore unethical.

By creating a cyborg society am I essentially playing god, and will this make it harder to differentiate between the human and machine ?

My medical implant will completely replace the heart, which may cause questions of the morality of the device however we have already seen  medical enhancements that are used to assist the heart. “widespread public acceptance of cardiac assist devices suggests there is a range of moral flexibility with integration of machines and the heart so long as the technology is shown to be safe and effective”. Biotechnology and Bioethics, article (2006)

Equality 

When implementing new technology to enhance the human body does this give some people an advantage over others and who would be benefiting from these body enhancements.

I will discuss who should benefit from my medical implant

The rich 

By giving the rich another advantage over the middle and lower classes could cause major problems for future society, if my medical device allows someone to live for longer or improve quality of life would this be fair.

The poor 

I think that marketing my heart for the poor would be ethical as it could improve the quality of life for those who are most in need but this then poses questions as to how the project would be funded.

I think that By marketing just for the poor again poses major questions because if the poor have these body improvements are they then seen as a better ?

How would society work if the poor were enhanced ?

A specific group 

After considering the different categories of society I have decided to market my product for specific members of society it will target those who operate within the sports industry to enhance their athleticism.

Although this also poses questions like will this make the sports unfair for those who don’t have the body enhancements my product will be available to all and could likely create a subcategory of athletes.

For example think of the Olympics, we have the Paralympics for those who are disabled so that they aren’t at any disadvantage compared to if they were competing against those in the Olympics.

My Heart implants and other medical enhancements would be for those who want to compete in the enhanced Olympics so that others who don’t have the enhanced bodies are not at a disadvantage.

Through my research into the ethics of replacing the human heart I have been able to Identify how my models can act as a ethical merger between man and machine by using the hearts within the sports industry in a new Olympic category is both ethical because it becomes a way of enhancing the body for a particular purpose that won’t necessarily effect the hierarchy of society.

I have also discussed the different herarcys within societies and established what part of society deserves to be advanced by technology.

The hearts I will help to make sports more competitive and will reduce the limitations that the body presents when considering certain sports.

[mitchelledwards]

Things My final Display must address

* The final display should reference the ethics of creating a prosthetic heart as this would be a big put off for people thinking upgrading to a prosthetic organ, many would consider it unethical.

*My prints should give the audience an idea of how the product works and how each prototype is different.

* They final display should also reference who will use these products and how they will effect society.

* The prints should show how the new improved heart will fit within the body and how this will effect the other internal organs.

I will use this list to rework my prints so that they can add deeper meaning to my models and further explain the narrative behind them.

[mitchelledwards]

Final Qrs Feedback 

With the deadline fast approaching we had a final QRS session to give feedback on our final works so that we could address any changes that needed to be made before the final show.

During this Qrs session I showed my three models and my prints which were displayed on the assembled plinth.

There were quite a few things that needed addressing as I had missed the last few QRS sessions.

* The first piece of feedback I was given was to rework some of my models to make sure that the finish was polished for the final show which I will achieve by sanding giving the models a light sand and a respray.

*Secondly I was told to think about the display of the prints as they could do more to activate the models.

* The third thing was to look deeper into the ethical issues of creating a prosthetic organ and think about what each model would be used for. For example could the heart with the large valves be used for runners would this increase there athletic capability in some way ? 

With a short amount of time left during the module it will be difficult to make all of the changes to my final display but I will try to do this to the best of my ability.

I will start by making a list of things that I want my final display to address and then reworking my prints to implement these changes so that the audience can get a deeper more comprehensive look into the models and the narrative behind them.

[mitchelledwards]

Final Photos layered photographs Taken in the Photography studio

Above are the final photographs that I have taken using a projector and a DSLR camera in the photography studio.

The previous two sets of photographs were lower quality, the first set were taken on my Samsung galaxy s7 in the studio, the second set was taken using a DSLR however I felt that these photos could be improved further by taking them to the Photography studio and testing them on a black background using professional lighting.

After making these small changes I can definitely see the difference in quality the final photos really bring the shapes found in the sculpture to attention they become the focal point of the image whilst the projected pieces compensate the sculpture in the foreground adding an additional slice of curiosity.

Together the layered sculpture and projection pieces work really well as a whole and highlight the ambiguous shape and nature of the human heart through a series of abstract forms and shapes.

The use of plastic within the sculptures and the fact that it is highlighted throughout the series of photos shows the impact that our industry driven society is having on medicine, now most implants within the body are being made from metals and plastics which are very industrial materials and almost everything that we use in the modern age has been machine made it shows that even something as natural as the human body is becoming more mechanical.

Personally I think that the first two pieces are the strongest although the light is a little bright they blend really nicely into the image. I see these pieces like a two sided coin almost the sculpture in the foreground shows the heart that I have created which hints at where the heart will be in the future and the heart in the background is almost a shadow of its former self representing the present form of the organ.

The final four images also have some very strong qualities, they are very sharp and bring out the ambiguous shapes perfectly they give a different perspective from each angle they are observed from, for example the final image has been taken from a side on angle and it has a different meaning depending on who observes it. 

The things that I wanted to highlight within these photos :

* The hearts ambiguous shape which has been a very important factor during the initial stages of my project, every time someone draws a heart they will draw something different because it has a shape that is unlike anything else, so I wanted to emphasise this in my future organ depictions and therefore in my final photos.

* I also wanted to add an element of curiosity to the photos because the project is looking at the heart from a speculative angle which in itself is an exaggeration of human curiosity, I have done this by making the photos very thought provoking some just highlight a section of the future organ and some use light in creative ways making the images look unclear in places because the future is unclear.

* To represent a work in progress, at this stage we are coming to the end of the work in progress module, I wanted to embrace this and to create a piece that leaves some things unanswered that I can develop further. My final works will likely be a culmination of my photographs and research which shows my work developing throughout my project.

How these pieces can be improves and What Next ?

Although I am happy with the photographs as they evoke the element of curiosity and make the user question the future form of the heart. I think I could take that even further possibly through Photoshop manipulation to see how different colours and filters can be used to change the impact of the images and the perspective that this creates for the audience.

I think that using vivid colour could enhance the images especially colours like blood red which are highly representative of the human heart.