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‘Cyborg Self-Portrait’ of Rhonda McEwen Merges Science and the Arts
By Joe Howell
In our collective imagination, art is often portrayed as science’s opposite—separate fields that, if not in direct conflict, are at least estranged. In truth, the two go hand-in-hand, says Dr. Rhonda McEwen, president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto.
“I really don’t think that we do service to artists or to technologists with that dichotomy,” she says. “In computer science and natural science, there’s always art. We’ve known this as early as the greats like da Vinci.”
Dr. McEwen is well-acquainted with both worlds; her research on touchscreen technology for children led to the creation of Julia, the first Sesame Street muppet on the autism spectrum. Her passion for intertwining science and creativity is encapsulated in a self-portrait she embellished by dissembling her old BlackBerry phones, using the parts to turn herself into a cyborg.
“The idea for this came to me as we were preparing our recent book,” says Dr. McEwen—The SAGE Handbook of Human–Machine Communication, which she co-edited. “I was thinking about Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, which popularized the idea of the cyborg beyond the realm of science fiction. These ‘extensions’ weren’t necessarily prostheses or physical connections; he meant the way that media allows us to extend human capacity, capability and limits.”
But why crack open ancient cellphones? “I’ve always enjoyed taking a screwdriver and pulling apart technology. Some people knit to keep their hands busy; I disassemble things to see how I can put them back together in a new way,” she says.
While Dr. McEwen likes to take things apart, her mom has a talent for putting them together.
“My mother did her master’s degree in fashion and design, and she would always be on a sewing machine or cutting fabric. I saw that this fashion that looked like art was very mathematical—that’s why I’ve always felt art and science are two hands on the same body.”
It makes sense, then, that her new lab at Vic U is called (et al.), short for The Emerging Technology and Arts Lab. The interdisciplinary hub explores the intersection of technology, arts and human cognition. The website was created entirely by her lab students, notes Dr. McEwen. “Even the logo, which is the Mona Lisa in a VR headset!”
Dr. McEwen plans to give (et al.) a proper launch this fall. Until then, students interested in learning more can reach the lab at contact.etal@vicu.utoronto.ca Students from undergrad to postdoc are welcome— just don’t leave your cellphone lying around if you prefer it in one piece!
