Transmission

2011-2012

The Transmission series is an extension of my series Matters of the Heart, in which I explore the heart from a medical and metaphorical point of view, combining organic materials and biomedical devices used in contemporary medicine. It consists of translucent sculptures, cast from my upper body and suspended on hangers, as if they were garments. The torsos' forms are reminiscent of Medieval breastplates which were used until the 17th century to protect the vital organs from grave injury during battle. In these sculptures, however, the "skin" is vulnerable, for now the danger comes from within, in the form of disease. Made with thin layers of Japanese Gampi paper, the torsos are embedded with mica which I have extracted from muscovite and biotite mineral specimens. The casts are “adorned” with biomedical devices used in cardiac procedures, which have been transformed into jewel-like amulets, modern medicine's "armor" against harm. And while these amulets refer to the dominant contemporary belief that we must look to science to cure disease, they also have a mysterious quality that speaks to healing forces which lie beyond medicine.