Man Oppressed by the Triumphs of Medicine

I enjoyed "The River" by James Guglielmi, yesterday, at the Art Institute of Chicago.  You see 4 women alongside the expanse of blue water, hemmed in by a monolithic concrete riverbank with an industrial landscape in the distance.  There is a vivid contrast between the natural and man-made landscapes.  One critic noted that Gugliemi's work suggests "the theme of man oppressed by his own great triumphs."  

This resonates with the all-too-common theme of the dying patient in the ICU "oppressed" by the triumphs of medical science.  In both the Gugliemi scene and in the ICU, we have developed some awesome technology.  But we too often let it get out of control and detract from a natural and enjoyable life.