Gunther von Hagen's Bodyworlds Exibition, Edmonton, Alberta

We drove up to Edmonton for Thanksgiving with family. While there we took in Gunther von Hagen's Bodyworlds exhibition, http://www.bodyworlds.com/ . Over the last weekend the Science Centre was open 24/7 to cope with the crowd of people wanting to see it. Along with the many other procrastinators we lined up and filed in at 10:45 p.m and emerged nearly 3 hours later in a state of awe.

The atmosphere created by the gentle, murmuring, moving, packed in spectators was an experience in itself. The only other time I have experienced such a hushed reverence combined with a vibrating static in the air was when I filed past Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party.Having spent the summer wrestling with drawing the human body, I was totally absorbed and fascinated by what I saw. I came away with an even greater admiration for artists who can capture the complexity of the human form in a drawing.
The above image is of a rabbit but only its blood vessels. Red plastic was pumped through its entire blood system. Once this plastic hardened, all its organs, tissues, bones etc were removed, leaving the blood system in tact.
If I am ever again anywhere near a Bodyworlds exhibition I will certainly visit it again.

Human Anatomy

The Opus BA module I am doing this semester is Visual Studies where the whole focus is on drawing the human form. We are advised to take a figure drawing class which I did for an intensive week at Red Deer Collage during Series. It is also recommended we study a real human skeleton. I have seen skeletons when I go to the chiropractor and physiothrapist but I haven't had the opportunity to study one. Then I found the book 'New Atlas of Human Anatomy The first 3D Anatomy based on the National Library of Medicine's Visual Human Project, general editor: Thomas McCracken. To get the amazing images, 1mm thick cross sections of a frozen cadaver where photographed. A computer processed the info in these images to generate accurate 3D images which are printed in the book. I have been studying the images of bones, tendons & muscles as I practice drawing the human form.

This book reminded me of another student's entry in the ACAD Artawearness IIX performance. Amy Malbeuf made a series of anatomical costumes where each one showed a different system in the human body.

It was a weird sensation to see each system in motion. With the black costume in low lighting one didn't notice the rest of the human form. It was as though Amy had taken the images in the book to the next stage and put them in motion.

Amy said, "It was a comment on our society's emphasis on over-consumption & superficiality." Great work Amy. Can't wait to see what you come up with next year.

Red Deer College - Series

This summer I am working on the Visual Studies module of the Opus BA(Hons) programme I am enrolled in. It is highly recommened one takes a figure drawing class. My drawing skills are poorly developed, to say the least, so I attended a 5 day long open drawing studio session at Red Deer College's summer art programme, Series, in the hope that total immersion would produce some observational drawings I could use in my assignments.
What a time I had. With Ross Bradley's organisation and years of live drawing experience we had a different model every day from 9 in the morning until 10 at night, with breaks to consume food & drink coffee. It was quite a unique experience, in this day, to be able to totally focus on one activity for a sustained period.
Another bonus for me was the calibre of the other drawers in the studio. Studying their work was an education for me. And each one was such an interesting person and most pleasant company. I looked forward to joining them in the studio each morning.

While in Red Deer Collage, I stayed in residence. Over the week, as I walked to and from the studio, I enjoyed the drama of Canadian prairie skies.

This storm caused hail damage to crops and there was a tornado warning over the radio. I was too busy drawing to follow up on whether it touched down or not. That's how absorbing this whole drawing experience was.

Banff Centre

Dr Jennifer Salahub worked with us for a day during our artist residency at the Banff Centre. She focused on how to do research and how to work with an inspiration to produce a personal response to it.

During a tour of the Whyte Museum, she gave us an assignment make a personal response to this image of Mary Shaffer, an early European explorer of the Banff National Park.

My response was to make some close-up charcoal drawings of parts of the image.