Art lecture and lunch

If the experience of the history lecture on Wednesday was a little disheartening, Thursday's art lecture redressed the balance.  It took place at the university in the luxurious Memorial Students Centre, all polished floors and expensive seating, or more precisely, in the Forsyth Gallery in the students' centre.   It was given by a young 4th year medical student on the topic of art and medicine.  She had a good presentation of slides depicting: medicine as an art, art for medical purposes, art as medical propaganda, medicine portrayed in art, art used to train medics etc.  To quote from the blurb:

Like the artist, the medical practitioner relies on a keen eye, manual finesse, unspoken sensibility and considerable patience. Yet, the art of medicine also holds another truth. There is medicine in art. Such is readily apparent in the vast array of artworks depicting medical subjects from patients to physicians, melancholy to madness. But besides describing artistic representations of medicine, the phrase “medicine in art” captures an additional aspect of the relationship between the two fields.

Whether in the form of Rorschach inkblots or public health “propaganda” posters, art has a variety of medical applications from diagnosis to treatment, from education to prevention. Increasingly, expertise in the art of medicine not only requires the skillful demonstration of the art in medicine but also the awareness and application of the medicine in art.

Very well put together and thought provoking.   An audience of about 12 people in a small room off the gallery and intelligent observations and questions to follow.  I think I'll stick to talks at the university in future! 

Peter was waiting outside and we went for lunch in the student canteen, which boasts about  5 different food counters all serving different 'cuisine'.  I use the word lightly!