TEDMED 2015
Vanessa Ruiz: The spellbinding art of human anatomy
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Vanessa Ruiz takes us on an illustrated journey of human anatomical art over the centuries, sharing captivating images that bring this visual science -- and the contemporary artists inspired by it -- to life. "Anatomical art has the power to reach far beyond the pages of a medical textbook," she says, "connecting our innermost selves with our bodies through art."
Vanessa Ruiz - Anatomical artist
Vanessa Ruiz documents the intersection of medical illustration and contemporary art. Full bio
Vanessa Ruiz documents the intersection of medical illustration and contemporary art. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
As a lover of human anatomy,
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I'm so excited that we're finally
putting our bodies at the center of focus.
putting our bodies at the center of focus.
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Through practices
such as preventive medicine,
such as preventive medicine,
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patient empowerment
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and self-monitoring --
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down to now obsessing
over every single step we take in a day.
over every single step we take in a day.
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All of this works to promote
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a healthy connection
between ourselves and our bodies.
between ourselves and our bodies.
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Despite all this focus
on the healthy self,
on the healthy self,
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general public knowledge
of the anatomical self is lacking.
of the anatomical self is lacking.
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Many people don't know
the location of their vital organs,
the location of their vital organs,
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or even how they function.
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And that's because human anatomy
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is a difficult and time-intensive
subject to learn.
subject to learn.
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How many of you here
made it through anatomy?
made it through anatomy?
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Wow, good --
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most of you are in medicine.
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I, like you, spent countless hours
memorizing hundreds of structures.
memorizing hundreds of structures.
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Something no student of anatomy
could do without the help of visuals.
could do without the help of visuals.
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Because at the end of the day,
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whether you remember
every little structure or not,
every little structure or not,
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these medical illustrations are what
makes studying anatomy so intriguing.
makes studying anatomy so intriguing.
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In looking at them,
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we're actually viewing
a manual of our very selves.
a manual of our very selves.
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But what happens when we're done studying?
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These beautiful illustrations
are then shut back
are then shut back
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into the pages of a medical textbook,
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or an app,
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referenced only when needed.
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And for the public,
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medical illustrations
may only be encountered passively
may only be encountered passively
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on the walls of a doctor's office.
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From the beginnings of modern medicine,
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medical illustration,
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and therefore anatomy,
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have existed primarily within
the realm of medical education.
the realm of medical education.
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Yet there's something fascinating
happening right now.
happening right now.
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Artists are breaking anatomy
out of the confines of the medical world
out of the confines of the medical world
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and are thrusting it
into the public space.
into the public space.
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For the past nine years,
I have been cataloguing and sharing
I have been cataloguing and sharing
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this rise in anatomical art
with the public --
with the public --
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all from my perspective
as a medical illustrator.
as a medical illustrator.
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But before I get into showing you
how artists are reclaiming anatomy today,
how artists are reclaiming anatomy today,
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it's important to understand
how art influenced anatomy in the past.
how art influenced anatomy in the past.
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Now, anatomy is by its
very nature a visual science,
very nature a visual science,
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and the first anatomists to understand
this lived during the Renaissance.
this lived during the Renaissance.
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They relied on artists
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to help advertise their discoveries
to their peers in the public.
to their peers in the public.
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And this drive to not only teach
but also to entertain
but also to entertain
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resulted in some of the strangest
anatomical illustrations.
anatomical illustrations.
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Anatomy was caught in a struggle
between science, art and culture
between science, art and culture
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that lasted for over 500 years.
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Artists rendered
dissected cadavers as alive,
dissected cadavers as alive,
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posed in these humorous
anatomical stripteases.
anatomical stripteases.
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Imagine seeing that
in your textbooks today.
in your textbooks today.
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They also showed them as very much dead --
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unwillingly stripped of their skin.
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Disembodied limbs were often
posed in literal still lives.
posed in literal still lives.
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And some illustrations
even included pop culture references.
even included pop culture references.
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This is Clara,
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a famous rhinoceros that was
traveling Europe in the mid-1700s,
traveling Europe in the mid-1700s,
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at a time when seeing a rhino
was an exciting rarity.
was an exciting rarity.
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Including her in this illustration
was akin to celebrity sponsorship today.
was akin to celebrity sponsorship today.
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The introduction of color
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then brought a whole new
depth and clarity to anatomy
depth and clarity to anatomy
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that made it stunning.
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By the early 20th century,
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the perfect balance of science
and art had finally been struck
and art had finally been struck
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with the emergence
of medical illustrators.
of medical illustrators.
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They created a universal
representation of anatomy --
representation of anatomy --
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something that was neither alive nor dead,
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that was free from those influences
of artistic culture.
of artistic culture.
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And this focus on no-frills accuracy
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was precisely for the benefit
of medical education.
of medical education.
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And this is what we
get to study from today.
get to study from today.
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But why is it that medical illustration --
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both past and present --
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captures our imaginations?
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Now, we are innately tuned
into the beauty of the human body.
into the beauty of the human body.
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And medical illustration is still art.
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Nothing can elicit
an emotional response --
an emotional response --
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from joy to complete disgust --
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more than the human body.
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And today,
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artists armed with that emotion,
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are grasping anatomy
from the medical world,
from the medical world,
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and are reinvigorating it through art
in the most imaginative ways.
in the most imaginative ways.
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A perfect example of this is Spanish
contemporary artist Fernando Vicente.
contemporary artist Fernando Vicente.
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He takes 19th century anatomical
illustrations of the male body
illustrations of the male body
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and envelops them in a female sensuality.
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The women in his paintings taunt us
to view beyond their surface anatomy,
to view beyond their surface anatomy,
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thereby introducing a strong femininity
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that was previously lacking in the history
of anatomical representation.
of anatomical representation.
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Artistry can also be seen in the repair
and recovery of the human body.
and recovery of the human body.
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This is an X-ray of a woman
who fractured and dislocated her ankle
who fractured and dislocated her ankle
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in a roller-skating accident.
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As a tribute to her trauma,
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she commissioned Montreal-based
architect Federico Carbajal
architect Federico Carbajal
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to construct a wire sculpture
of her damaged lower leg.
of her damaged lower leg.
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Now, notice those bright red screws
magnified in the sculpture.
magnified in the sculpture.
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These are the actual surgical screws
used in reconstructing her ankle.
used in reconstructing her ankle.
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It's medical hardware
that's been repurposed as art.
that's been repurposed as art.
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People often ask me how I choose
the art that I showcase online
the art that I showcase online
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or feature in gallery shows.
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And for me it's a balance
between the technique
between the technique
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and a concept that pushes the boundaries
of anatomy as a way to know thyself,
of anatomy as a way to know thyself,
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which is why the work
of Michael Reedy struck me.
of Michael Reedy struck me.
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His serious figure drawings
are often layered in elements of humor.
are often layered in elements of humor.
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For instance, take a look at her face.
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Notice those red marks.
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Michael manifests the consuming
insecurity of a skin condition
insecurity of a skin condition
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as these maniacal cartoon monsters
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annoying and out of control
in the background.
in the background.
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On the mirrored figure,
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he renders the full anatomy
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and covers it in glitter,
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making it look like candy.
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By doing this,
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Michael downplays
the common perception of anatomy
the common perception of anatomy
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so closely tied to just disease and death.
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Now, this next concept
might not make much sense,
might not make much sense,
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but human anatomy
is no longer limited to humans.
is no longer limited to humans.
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When you were a child,
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did you ever wish
that your toys could come to life?
that your toys could come to life?
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Well, Jason Freeny
makes those dreams come true
makes those dreams come true
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with his magical toy dissections.
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(Laughter)
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One might think that this
would bring a morbid edge
would bring a morbid edge
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to one's innocent childhood characters,
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but Jason says of his dissections,
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"One thing I've never seen
in a child's reaction to my work is fear."
in a child's reaction to my work is fear."
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It's always wonder,
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amazement
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and wanting to explore.
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Fear of anatomy and guts
is a learned reaction.
is a learned reaction.
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This anatomization also extends to
politically and socially charged objects.
politically and socially charged objects.
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In Noah Scalin's "Anatomy of War,"
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we see a gun dissected
to reveal human organs.
to reveal human organs.
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But if you look closely,
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you'll notice that it lacks a brain.
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And if you keep looking,
you might also notice
you might also notice
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that Noah has so thoughtfully
placed the rectum
placed the rectum
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at the business end of that gun barrel.
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Now, this next artist
I've been following for many years,
I've been following for many years,
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watching him excite
the public about anatomy.
the public about anatomy.
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Danny Quirk is a young artist
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who paints his subjects
in the process of self-dissection.
in the process of self-dissection.
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He bends the rules of medical illustration
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by inserting a very dramatic
light and shadow.
light and shadow.
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And this creates a 3-D illusion
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that lends itself very well
to painting directly on the human skin.
to painting directly on the human skin.
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Danny makes it look as if a person's
skin has actually been removed.
skin has actually been removed.
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And this effect --
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also cool and tattoo-like --
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easily transitions
into a medical illustration.
into a medical illustration.
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Now Danny is currently
traveling the world,
traveling the world,
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teaching anatomy to the public
via his body paintings,
via his body paintings,
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which is why it was
so shocking to find out
so shocking to find out
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that he was rejected
from medical illustration programs.
from medical illustration programs.
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But he's doing just fine.
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Then there are artists
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who are extracting anatomy from both
the medical world and the art world
the medical world and the art world
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and are placing it
directly on the streets.
directly on the streets.
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London-based SHOK-1 paints
giant X-rays of pop culture icons.
giant X-rays of pop culture icons.
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His X-rays show how culture
can come to have an anatomy of its own,
can come to have an anatomy of its own,
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and conversely how culture can become
part of the anatomy of a person.
part of the anatomy of a person.
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You come to admire his work
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because reproducing X-rays by hand,
let alone with spray paint,
let alone with spray paint,
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is extremely difficult.
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But then again this is a street artist,
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who also happens to hold
a degree in applied chemistry.
a degree in applied chemistry.
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Nychos, an Austrian street artist,
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takes the term "exploded view"
to a whole new level,
to a whole new level,
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splattering human and animal dissections
on walls all over the world.
on walls all over the world.
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Influenced by comics and heavy metal,
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Nychos inserts a very youthful
and enticing energy into anatomy
and enticing energy into anatomy
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that I just love.
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Street artists believe
that art belongs to the public.
that art belongs to the public.
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And this street anatomy is so captivating
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because it is the furthest removed
from the medical world.
from the medical world.
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It forces you to look at it,
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and confront your own
perceptions about anatomy,
perceptions about anatomy,
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whether you find it beautiful,
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gross,
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morbid
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or awe-inspiring, like I do.
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That it elicits these responses at all
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is due to our intimate
and often changing relationship with it.
and often changing relationship with it.
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All of the artists
that I showed you here today
that I showed you here today
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referenced medical
illustrations for their art.
illustrations for their art.
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But for them,
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anatomy isn't just something to memorize,
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but a base from which to understand
the human body on a meaningful level;
the human body on a meaningful level;
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to depict it in ways that we can relate,
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whether it be through cartoons,
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body painting
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or street art.
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Anatomical art has the power
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to reach far beyond
the pages of a medical textbook,
the pages of a medical textbook,
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to ignite an excitement in the public,
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and reinvigorate an enthusiasm
in the medical world,
in the medical world,
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ultimately connecting our innermost selves
with our bodies through art.
with our bodies through art.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Vanessa Ruiz - Anatomical artistVanessa Ruiz documents the intersection of medical illustration and contemporary art.
Why you should listen
Vanessa Ruiz is the driving force behind Street Anatomy, a blog that aggregates works that explore the intersection of art and medical illustration. Since its 2007 launch, Street Anatomy has published more than one thousand posts, revealing human anatomy in pencil drawings, tattoos, 3-D printing and interior design, among other media.
Fascinated by the surge in street art that was happening in Chicago while she pursued a master’s degree in biomedical visualization at the University of Illinois, Ruiz found a lack of public knowledge about the profession. She created Street Anatomy in the hopes of taking medical illustration into more public spaces and built an online resource for the public to discover contemporary anatomical art that gained instant popularity.
Vanessa Ruiz | Speaker | TED.com