Helen Bates on sun 11 may 03
Dear Clayarters,
I am sending something that is not quite on topic, as there is nothing=20
closer to "Clay" than the fact that one of the materials referred to=20
below is "silicon" rubber. My thought in presenting these web sites is=20
to add to the on-going discussions about "what is art?", "what is=20
beauty?", "what is appropriate for what audience?", "what is=20
educational?", and "why?".
My own background includes anatomy dissection, especially of the=20
musculo-skeletal system, and I find the anatomical displays in these=20
images absolutely fascinating, and far more able to instruct me in how=20
the structures of the body work in action than to cadavers I viewed and=20
worked with forty years ago. To me, they represent the finest in=20
science and art, and I can only hope the actual exhibition comes to=20
Toronto, Montreal, or an American city not too distant from me so I can=20
see the figures for myself. I think I would be as affected by them as I=20
was by the Rodin sculptures of the Burghers of Calais when they came to=20
Quebec City a few years ago.
Here then, are several web sites that show some of the work of the=20
anatomy / art exhibit "Body Worlds" by Gunther von Hagens. Von Hagens=20
developed a way to replace the seventy per cent fluid content of the=20
body in such a way as to preserve it between the point of death and=20
deterioration. He calls it "plastination", and uses silicon rubber,=20
epoxy and other resins, plus dyes to colour various parts of the body,=20
such as grey for the brain or red for the blood system.
Most of the figures have mainly bone, connective tissue and muscle,=20
although skin is present in some areas, depending on the aspects of the=20
body that may be highlighted in the particular figure presented. The=20
bodies are presented in absolutely human postures, and may be seated=20
before a chess board or computer, or may be riding a bicyle (or a horse,=20
in one case - the horse has also been plastinated.)
All the bodies belonged to people who authorised the use of their bodies=20
after their deaths for the educational benefit of medical professionals=20
and non-professionals alike.
I think the exhibit is suitable for viewing by children if their parents=20
or educators have viewed it first and are ready to discuss the images=20
with the young people (and indeed many have seen it in London, Germany,=20
Japan, Korea and other countries).
Some may be more disturbed by the figure of a reclining pregnant woman=20
with an eight-month foetus (Am. sp. fetus) in the womb. I was not=20
personally repelled by this, but found myself wondering how she and her=20
possibly viable child both came to die. (I'm sure it happens quite=20
often in automobile accidents, and in other ways, such as a stroke,=20
which can happen even to fairly young people occasionally.)
A final thought: it interests me greatly that the figures, far from=20
seeming dead and "soul-less" seem to have been re-imbued with spirit and=20
life, as fine statues and much other art, three-dimensional or otherwise=20
may be thought to contain. I suppose it is the realization, in the=20
viewer's mind, of the existence of the human spirit, transmitted to the=20
subject by the artist's hands, or perhaps I should say in this case, the=20
artists's hands, since much of the work was done by extremely skilled=20
technicians in China.
Here are the web sites:
K=F6rpervelten-Body Worlds by Prof. Gunther von Hagens
Von Hagens' home page for the K=F6rpervelten-Body Worlds exhibit,=20
including supporting information
SocietyGuardian.co.uk =A9 Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003
>
Article and photo "The Business of the Flesh: Bodyworlds"
Guardian Unlimited =A9 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Six slides from the London Exhibit of The Body Worlds exhibition
Bodyworks Exhibit, London, 2002
Four photos from the exhibit by enthusiast Ray Albrektson of Redlands,=20
California
"The Student Zone" online magazine
A review by student Faheem Shakur - one image included
Bodyworld image (London Pass Inc.)
Two people viewing the plastinated figure holding entire draped skin
Londoneasy magazine
Interview with Bodyworlds creator Gunther von Hagens(online video)
Anon...
Helen
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Helen Bates - mailto:nell@cogeco.ca, nelbanell@yahoo.com
Web - http://www.geocities.com/nelbanell/
PMI Online - http://www.potterymaking.org/pmionline.html
Clayarters' Urls - http://amsterlaw.com/clayart.html
Surfing Posts - http://amsterlaw.com/nell.html
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