When Science And Art Combine. Part 1.

The idea of this post was originally a set of three articles for a website, it consisted of three different artists who are renowned for their work within science and art and looked at the overlap.

 I decided it wasn't really appropriate to the feel of the site and didn't want to put anyone off their breakfast  reading part one.

Whilst funning a friend at the weekend it reminded me I have had these hanging around in my out box for nearly a year. So it's about time they see the light of day.

Dr. Gunther Von Hagens. Body and Animal Worlds.


The word art over the last five decades has taken on a new meaning
There are artists all over the world using the words 'mixed methods' and expressing ideas .

It's a way of experimenting, seeing things in a different way. Letting out frustration which is placed within society and challenging the concepts of traditional art and it's ways.

It allows the imagination to explore our inner-selves and connect the conscious with the sub conscious, but there is a line to be drawn and when does art start to over step the boundary of artistic expression?

The name Dr Gunther von Hagens has created quite a stir over these last few years through out the art world.
Technically von Hagens is not an artist but an anatomist which the art world has embraced due to his controversial studies of putting dead human and animal bodies on display in different states of wellbeing at an exhibition called Body Worlds.

29 million people have visited his exhibition worldwide.

People fall into two very basic categories when viewing von Hagens work, inspired or repulsed.

There is the ethical side to consider but all von Hagens specimens were people who signed up for his revolutionary technique called plastination after death.

Dr von Hagens developed a way to preserve biological tissue (plastination).
Plastination embalms the specimen to prevent decomposition.
It is a three stage procedure which  after the specimen has been embalmed is placed in acetone in freezing conditions, the acetone replaces the water within the cells, it is then submerged in a liquid polymer and as the acetone vaporises the polymer fills the cells and is boiled at a low temperature.

The final stage is to harden the specimen which is done via ultra violet light resulting in a preserved body/organ.

So why the controversy? there has been accusations on how Dr Von Hagens has acquired the bodies despite the body donations.

One of these being they were bought in China and were the bodies of executed prisoners.
Another several hundred bodies being shipped in  from some of Europes poorest countries which were stopped when it came to shipping.

Animal rights protesters were also angered by the use of a plastinated gorilla which was attained from a zoo without the required legal papers for an endangered species that was on display at the Body works exhibition, but it has now been removed from public display.

There is also the fact that he performed the first public autopsy in 170 years live on TV to a sell out audience of over 500 here in the UK 4 years ago.

The police arrived whilst the show was going out live; even though illegal it was left to broadcast as there was no misleading information as to what was going to happen just the sensationalism which could be termed as disrespectful to the deceased and their family.

There was over 700 complaints.

He has since been cleared of most of the accusations and has had a suspended fine for misleading the Chinese government that he was representing a German University.

Body Worlds still tours the globe, but what to expect? it can differ as what exhibits are being shown as different sates and boroughs have different laws on exhibiting human remains, but there are some basics which are expected.

Viewing real human plastinated whole bodies, organs, and transparent body slices as well as configured organs and joints.

It shows poor health, good health and the impact of the lifestyle you lead via the inner process.

Specimens are posed in different ways relating to the lifestyle they have lead e.g an athlete would show how the muscle system works so are posed like they are playing sports.

So where does this tie in with the art world? von Hagens idea might not be as pioneering as first thought.

Yes , plastination is revolutionary, but this insight into anatomy can be seen well into the Renaissance era where anatomical drawings were the way forward and  von Hagnens brought those pictures to 3D.
The Skin Man is a 16th century copper engraving from engraver Gaspar Becerra who is believed to have assisted Micheal Angelo with painting the Sistine Chapel.

The Skeleton, The Wizard and The Praying Skeleton can all be related to the middle ages and the Renaissance.

Suggesting there was intention to cross the lines of science and art.

This could simply be interpreted by Von Hagens adamence that his work is there to teach the public about the body , so giving the specimens a title would insure people went away remembering what they have seen and keeping it firmly in the mind by suggesting personalities in the way the specimens have been displayed.

Otherwise indication would be  via reference number and Latin terminology that is associated within science and easily forgotten.

Whether perceived as 'bad taste' or not? von Hagens can not be put into the same category as Damien Hurst of the 'pickled sheep' fame as some of the media has suggested.

It is a very real possibility that art has  crossed the boundary into exploitation under the pretense of 'artistic expression by education? but that is up to the viewer to decide.

When starting to write this I was set against the whole idea of what he was doing.

 It wasn't all that clear if the people who donated their bodies, donated them to medical science or for plastination and that raises some serious ethical questions.

I did try to keep an open mind on what I was reading and von Hagens background and upbringing certainly has made an impact on what he does today.

Since writing this I had the opportunity to have visited the Body and Animal worlds exhibition.

For me I didn't find anything macabre about it.  It strengthened my interest in physiology and I left with a sense of awe as to how complex and wonderful we are and life is as a whole. How simple daily choices we may take impact our inner workings.

I don't think anyone could come out of these exhibitions without taking a look at themselves.
I would still side it with science rather than art...but hey! that's just me, the next person may think something totally different.