Week 2 - MedTech + Art

Cosmetics has been an intermediate merry-go-around between medical technology and aesthetics.  It is also a very special kind of art that one with minimum art training can participate, interact and profession in; therefore it has gained its important status in modern stage, especially in aesthetics of women and human in general. Nowadays, those who apply makeup for a living are granted the names of makeup "artists", then it is safe that we call dermatologists as the technicians of such medical technology. 

Makeup art can range from emphasizing basic facial features to dramatic stage effect, or even character modeling/sculpting in film industry, and the level of technology required increases along. Basic makeup art requires no medical knowledge and introductory level of aesthetics of facial feature.  

Dramatic makeup art work has lots of similarities with painting. It is hard to say which is harder, painting on canvas or painting skin: while classic painting has more details and techniques, painting on skin requires the interaction between action/skin movements and art. Moreover, artists must learn the effects of different paints on skin and the interaction between skin residues and paints. 

                                                                                Dramatic Makeup Art                                                                                  www.prettydesigns.com%2F20-ingenious-makeup-art-designs%2F&psig=AFQjCNGfK-C9BdPIKPIP95dwzQjYgoJ1gQ&ust=1467710706231293

                                                                                  Dramatic Stage Art                                                                                   http://www.airbrushmakeupsalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Airbrush-Makeup-Artist.jpg

Advanced medical technology has been utilized in film industry and theatre. Components such as sodium silicate, potassium silicate, magnesium aluminum and Polyurethane are widely researched and studied. For example, dermatologist has studied the function of polyurethane in film industry:

The good compatibility of polyurethanes has recently made it possible to develop systems for use on human and animal skin. Although polyurethane polymers stil play a subordinate role to the other polymers used in the cosmetic segment, such as polyvinylpyrrolidones, polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylates and silicones, their market share is expected to grow significantly in view of the increasingly demanding requirements, e.g. elastic properties, shape memory effects, surface feel, gloss, water resistance, reduction of organic solvent content etc.

                                                        Make-up artist Dubi Preger finishing a make-up design                                                         https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Dubi_Preger.jpg

Another example would be a product that can temporarily tighten skin and reduce wrinkles in 10 minutes, in a cost that it might dry out skin and leave more wrinkles.  It contains sodium silicate and magnesium aluminum silicate which work together to produce a tightening effect on the skin.

 The extreme of medical technology in art is plastic surgery.  Since it can permanently change the shape of body features, many people have redefined the standard of beauty, even for very small body parts, pushing them into extremes, and they revolutionized the modern aesthetics and body images. I found a moving documentary about plastic surgery - Desire for Beauty, by M. Gaudencio that talks about the perception of beauty and body images changed by plastic surgeries.

Overall, in four different levels, art has integrated with medical technology and affects us in daily life, artistic painting, entertaining industry and even medical industries. Using medical tech, we have even redefined the standard of beauty and changed our perception of aesthetics.



Source:

Besanson, Kelsey. "Everyday Makeup Tutorial! | Updated 2016." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Feb. 2016. Web. 04 July 2016. 

Audiounusual. "'Miracle' Skin Cream Remove Wrinkles in Just a Few Seconds in This Remarkable Video." YouTube. YouTube, 19 June 2016. Web. 04 July 2016. 

Olga, Panteriusea. "Lion Makeup & Face Painting Tutorial." YouTube. YouTube, 09 Jan. 2016. Web. 04 July 2016.

Ipekoglu, Nihal Sahin. "Polyurethane Technology for Cosmetics Industry." Pulse. Linked in, 05 May 2015. Web. 03 July 2016.

M., Gaudencio. "Desire for Beauty.Drama 2013." YouTube. YouTube, 08 May 2016. Web. 04 July 2016. 

Image:

www.prettydesigns.com%2F20-ingenious-makeup-art-designs%2F&psig=AFQjCNGfK-C9BdPIKPIP95dwzQjYgoJ1gQ&ust=1467710706231293

http://www.airbrushmakeupsalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Airbrush-Makeup-Artist.jpg

Dubi Preger. "Make-up artist Dubi Preger finishing a make-up design" Wikipedia. Wikipedia.