The body as an object of medical research - Web
When the body is pictured for medical purposes, wether drawn, painted or photographed, is known as Medical Illustration. Medical Illustration has been around almost as long as medicine iitself. Since 1968 there has been an organisation - The Institute of Medical Illustrators -that aims to bring together people working in that field and provide ways to improve the proffession by way of education, resources and meetings.
Examples of Medical Illustration. www.imi.org
Jo Spence.
The works of Jo Sence that I looked at for this blog was the works she did while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She documented her journey through her treatment of the disease by taking hundreds of photographs. Although I have used this photograph as an example, in my opinion it is not the best image for a example of medical illustration. I feel it is using her medical condition as the subject for her art, to perhaps show and document her journey and emotions towards what is happeninng to her. To highlight and send a message to others about the experience she is going through.
The second photograph that I looked at I found to be a lot more moving than the previous. This image shows alot more fragility than the one before. There is no sign of the artistic props or exhibitionism that appears in her earlier works. It feels to me like a much truer documentary photograph. I think the photograph has much more meaning once the story with it is known. The photo appeared in the last page of her book, that was published after her death. Appearing with the photograph was the words 'Jo Spence on a "good day", shortly before her death, photographing visitors to her room at the Marie Curie Hospice, Hampstead'. Knowing that she is in a hospice and that her death is near makes the image all the more thought provoking.
Sources.
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