I saw this on BBC news and thought it important for us to be able to react to/discuss/at least know about:
5 thoughts on “Can prosthetics be art?”
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Feminist Philosophers 
A very interesting piece. I personally liked it both because one of the artists involved, Matthew Barney, is from my home town (Boise, ID) and also because one of my former colleagues is a philosophy student who has been involved in significant body-modification/transhumanism of sorts- Erik Sprague, aka “The Lizard Man” http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php?title=Spidergod5 Erik is quite a smart and interesting guy w/ some serious philosophical interests in this sort of thing.
As to the prosthetics, I don’t see why they can’t be art. Certainly an interesting display, and commentary on it.
Matt, I agree. I think the idea of a model wearing those rather beautiful prostheses is quite wonderful.
Part of me is amazed that he was able to escape the body loathing so many people, disabled or not, seem to have. At least he seems to have avoided it. Perhaps it was sane and loving parents.
Aimee Mullins (the athlete/model mentioned in the video) has done some inspiring talks about these issues. Here’s one: http://boingboing.net/2009/03/13/aimee-mullins-how-my.html
Very interesting. I think prosthetics can be artistic, but I think it can cross the line into being perceived as exploitative for some.
KM, I’m hesitant to say much about that because I fear I wouldn’t know what I was talking about.