I think Van Gogh would like this.

I have yet to donate skin to burn victims, but all of my organs are being donated after death (skin being one of the usable organs), as well as my body for science. I have participated in giving bone marrow, which is one of the few living donations you can participate in. As far as art, I work in many media, most particularly in writing and music.

I'm not sure how my personal "art or donation" cred makes any difference here, though. I think there are many things that we can do that improves the situation of the world. The more we can make that a part of our creative and working lives (for those not lucky enough to make a living at their art, as I do), the better for everyone. Some choose to give their time, some of themselves, and some of their money. I don't see how this project has given any of the above. I admit that I don't know enough about stelarc's team (or whoever actually grew the tissue) to know if they were donating time, or are sharing the information and knowledge they gained from the experiment, or if they are keeping it proprietary in a private clinic setting. I don't think that's addressed anywhere that I could find.

Art is *supposed* to make people think, and discuss. If this is truly just an art piece, then I'm not sure why I'm getting so much flak about saying my particular piece on it. *shrug*.

Honkus, exactly how much skin have you donated to burn victims? Conversely how much original art have you produced?

Art is great. Your own damn money is great. People waiting on lists for skin donors isn't so great. Heaven forbid that someone spend their own damn money on something artistic that does someone else some good.

So honkus, should something only be done if it's practical? It's meant to be art.

Yeah honkus, because there's no way the information garned through this experiment, done with his own damn money, could ever be used again for anything like that.

Sure would be nice if he spent the money on say, growing some skin for burn victims. Yeesh, such excess.

Maybe the same plastic surgeons that worked on Orlan, the French performance artist who undergoes plastic surgery as performance art.

See Orlan's Carnal Art manifesto.