Two views of the heart
This series of digital paintings titled, “Two views of the heart,” explores two ways of understanding the human heart. From a physics perspective, the heart is visualized as a pump driving blood flow through a closed circuit. Concepts of resistance, shear, stress, elasticity are frequently used in modeling fluid mechanics of the heart as well as Newtonian and Non-Newtonian blood flow through the vasculature. This view of the heart as an intricate, complex machine with various equations modeling its physiological mechanisms conjures up themes of mathematical modeling, scientific precision and technological advancement. The other humanistic view of the heart, as explored in literature and the medical humanities, looks at the broader context of what it means to be human.
The paintings primarily use lines or geometrical shapes in line with the heart as a complex machine but also preserves the structure of the human heart to underscore a more humanistic side. Medical practice is frequently described as the art of balancing scientific accuracy with a more personalized, humanistic touch. These paintings attempt to underscore that delicate balance (Figures 1-4).
Acknowledgments
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