It’s not often there’s word of a talk by a medical illustrator –
However, THIS Monday June 29 at 10am, David Mascaro will be at the Sacred Heart Cultural Center (Augusta, GA), discussing his work and life. I’m told coffee will be included. This will be a great opportunity to get insight from a highly talented artist with decades of experience.
Below are a few selected works by Kate Street, a London-based artist who mixes anatomy, florals, and macabre. A strong concept throughout seems to be the interdependency of life and death on each other. Her drawings are rich in tonal detail, and there’s a delicacy and subtlety to her technique that makes the more morbid elements seem all the more so. And yet this conceptual contrast ends up being more romantic (referring to the artistic movement, not relationships!) than grotesque. They’re still lovely to look at, and are much more than still lifes.
Currently Street’s work is showing in the exhibition in London, The Space Between (see earlier post).
Without further ado,
Orchis Gracilis -- Kate Street
Story of Orchis in Three Parts -- Kate Street
Orchis Edulis -- Kate Street
For all those in London, there promises to be a group show with 9 artists, titled “The Space Between.”: private viewing Thursday June 4, and continued openings June 5 -12, with an artist’s talk on the 7th. There are links below to preview images. It looks like there’s quite a range of work, medium, and concept, including some lovely mixing of science and art. I wish I could be there! Look for a post coming up focusing on one of these artists.
The Art of Science has recently picked its 2009 winners. The concept behind this year’s contest, the 3rd of its kind, is found art — none of the chosen pieces were labored over or planned out, they were simply unexpectedly and suddenly seen through a microscope, computer screen, or what have you.
I’m not a fan with all the images chosen, but when you view them one by one, there are quite a few that hold there own. See “Cement Flower” and “Metadherin Expression at 10.5 Days Post Conception” and “Semiconducting Feathers”. The whole concept reminds me of Michael Kimmelman’s “The Accidental Masterpiece” — unexpected art buried found buried in chests, garages, attics, dollar stores.
There’s an opportunity for veterans, orthopoedic surgeons, or any artist affected by war: Wounded In Action Art . Submissions are being accepted from May 15 to October 15, in a variety of media. The juried exhibition will be in March 2010 and aims to honor and pay tribute to those who have suffered from orthopoedic injuries, the research that is furthering surgery techniques, and the surgeons behind the operations.
On exhibition now through January at the American Museum of Natural History is fantastic sounding exhibit: EXTREME MAMMALS ! Looks like the webdesigners had some fun putting the exhibit site together — there’s no holding back on the sensationalism of the crazy creatures on view.
As the museum itself claims:
“Featuring spectacular fossils and other specimens from the Museum’s collections, vivid reconstructions, and live animals, the exhibition examines the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny, from speedy to sloth-like, and displays animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns.”
It also boasts multimedia use, hands on displays, and live sugar gliders. AND, there’s even mention of the science tabloids latest headlines, Darwinius masillae, or Ida: definitely not a missing link but still a wonderfully preserved primitive mammal specimin.
Check out the Chinese pangolin echidna below.
Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), © AMNH/D. Finnin
More images, discussions, reviews, etc. below:
A couple things happening in New York of late:
A talk is happening at the Observatory 7:30pm in Brooklyn by medical illustrator Marie Dauenheimer, titled “Italian Wax Anatomical Models in European Collections”. Sounds like just the kind of thing anyone weird enough to appreciate the art and dissections would appreciate! More information over at the Morbid Anatomy site. Also see the post about the Italian tour; some of its photos put current anatomy models to shame.
Also of interest: the Pelham Art Center in Pelham, NY is hosting “And for all this, nature is never spent”. Including a collection of work by both students and professionals, it’s goal is to increase public awareness of the state of the environment. As a perk, it looks tastefully done, includes some truly lovely works, and isn’t all about shoving a message down your throat.
Here’s the the larger context the title is taken from:
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; Bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.”
–Gerard Manley Hopkins
[via New York Times article]
As an quick addendum to the previous post, The New York Times has a great little slideshow of images from the Darwin Endless Forms exhibition.
At the Yale Center for British Art until May 3 and at the Fitzwilliam Museum from June through October is the “Darwin Endless Forms” exhibit. If I was anywhere geographically near these areas, I would go. Essentially, it looks at all the art produced as a response to Darwin’s ideas in the late 19th century, and looks like it provides some interesting insights into both public and aesthetic interpretations of the evolution concept.
More links:
Chicago’s International Museum of Surgical Science is calling for exhibition proposals for the 2010 year – the deadline is April 19! They are looking for medically related art (more than figure studies with anatomy), 10-15 in number.
It looks like they prefer highly conceptual pieces more than the stereotypical medical illustration work, but this is nevertheless a unique opportunity.
Currently, the following is showing from January 30 – April 17, 2009:
Dominic Paul Moore, “Put This in Your Mouth”
Laurel Roth, “Hope Chest”
Details about the exhibitions in general: Anatomy in the Gallery
Details about submitting proposals: Exhibition Opportunities at the IMSS
At the New York Hall of Science until January 25 is the Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. digital exhibition titled “Imagination on Behalf of our Planet.” Although there are common biological and environmental themes throughout all the work, there’s a large range of mediums and styles, from collage and sculpture to xray photography. The best part may be that all the work you could see in person is also available to view online.
Biomimicry, ©2008 by Katherine Kollins, 18"h x 34"w, Epson print
World in Cut Glass, ©2007 by Lindsay Bloxam 12" x 9", Lightjet 430 print
A Request, ©2008 by Ruth Parrish 48"h x 16"w, Inkjet on rag paper
