The prosthetic imagination: limits, polarities, thresholds, and the cultural meaning of bodily enhancement

Abstract

This paper investigates the intersection of medical function and aesthetic expression in the design and use of prosthetics. Traditionally, prostheses were conceived as medical devices that restored lost function or concealed physical difference, aiming to approximate a normative bodily form. However, contemporary practices reveal a shift toward visibility, individuality, and creative expression, suggesting that prosthetics operate not only as tools for repair but also as sites of aesthetic and cultural innovation.

Drawing on case studies ranging from historical developments in Victorian medical aids to contemporary practices such as The Alternative Limb Project, this research situates prostheses within a broader lineage of enhancement and repair. The study engages with theoretical frameworks from cultural theory, design studies, and medical humanities, including Freud’s notion of the “prosthetic God”, Haraway’s cyborg theory, and Kuppers’ exploration of scars and visibility.

The analysis demonstrates that prostheses function as more than functional replacements: they are extensions of identity, embodiments of social values, and catalysts for rethinking disability and normality. Central to this argument are the concepts of polarities, limits, and thresholds: prostheses expose the polarity between concealment and display, press against the limits of the human body, and mark thresholds where medical necessity becomes artistic expression. By introducing the concept of Medically Prescribed Jewellery, the paper highlights how the fusion of medical utility and aesthetic innovation can empower users, reduce stigma, and foster new understandings of embodiment. In doing so, the research contributes to debates on enhancement, ethics, and the role of aesthetics in medical practice, positioning prosthetics as crucial mediators between technology, identity, and cultural meaning.