by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Art depicting dissected, contorted and the transparent human body is a creative expression to some. But for doctors and others in the medical world it can be an invaluable learning tool to further research, teach peers and help patients visually understand their condition.
Next month, visitors to the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will see firsthand how Mayo Clinic’s collection of medical illustrations has helped the medical profession in a feature exhibit, “Scalpel to Sketch: The Science and Beauty of Medical illustration at Mayo Clinic.”
The exhibit celebrates 100 years of Mayo medical illustration and will run from July 10–Sept. 28.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for people to see the combination of art and science intertwined,” said Cummer Curator Maarten van de Guchte. “It’s a very special exhibit for the Cummer and we jumped at the opportunity to display it. It’s fascinating and it will intrigue many people.”
Over 100 pieces of human body artwork from 100 years created by Mayo illustrators will be on display. The media used include pencil, pen-and-ink, airbrush, watercolor, carbon dust, colored pencil, computers and 3D models.
“Medical illustrators show us what can not be directly observed,” said Mayo pediatric surgeon Dr. Christopher Moir. “From their illustrations, we gain a common, singular vision or the surgical case before we make the first incision.”
The Cummer is just the second opportunity for the public to see the collection, said Amy Chamberlin, Cummer associate director of marketing. The first stop was Rochester, Minn., home of another Mayo Clinic.
“We are excited to share our unique collection and enlighten the Jacksonville community about this important, yet little-known profession,” said Dr. David Herman, chair of the Clinical Practice Committee at Mayo Clinic Rochester.
Features of the Cummer exhibit will include a timeline of the history of such illustrations from the 16th century to the present and art will include illustrations of the brain, skeletal system, molecules, gene clusters and the anatomy of conjoined twins.
Additionally, the exhibit will show the methodology of artists throughout the years, from cadaver specimens in the laboratory to direct observation in the operating room.
Mayo Clinic has eight of the country’s 150 medical illustrators in the U.S., one of the largest units in the world. Their work is published in medical textbooks, science atlases, patient education material, instructional films and medical journal among others, but in July it will be coming to the Cummer to be seen by a much larger audience.
“It’s our hope that the public will marvel at the science this art portrays and see the beauty within these works and the artist techniques employed by the illustrators,” said Robert Morreale, creative services director of Medical Illustration and Animation at Mayo Clinic Rochester.
For more information on the upcoming exhibit, call the Cummer at 356-6857.
356-2466