Art and Medicine
Hoyt Gallery, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Sunday, December 6, 2015 at 12:00-1:00 p.m.
“Unorthodox Anatomy is my attempt to make sense of what was happening to my spine based on my limited knowledge of anatomy.
As a photographer, I had been used to photographing landscapes, trees and flowers while carrying a heavy camera and tripod. Suddenly, I was having difficulty walking and could no longer carry heavy equipment. After visiting several doctors, I understood that I needed surgery, but I was unclear what my spine really looked like. Each time I received a new diagnosis, I tried to picture what it actually meant. Being in denial, I never went to the internet, but instead let my mind clarify this disabling problem.
When I was told that I had scoliosis, was out of alignment and degenerating, among other things, I started to picture my body as organic materials such as fruits and vegetables and the screws and rods and cages that would be placed inside of me as items from Home Depot.
Through allusion and metaphor, I am addressing the issues of pain, aging, the possibility of death and the options for living with titanium screws and plates and cages implanted within one’s body.”
The Unorthodox Anatomy Art Viewing and Discussion was held on December 6, 2015 at noon.