Medical Making Mutation

As this is my first post I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and my art practice. I studied at the Victorian College of the Arts from 1998- 2001, enrolled in the painting department but after my first year at art school there was very little painting that I actually did do. I opted instead to explore digital photography, photographic manipulation, installation and sculpture. I did continue to paint and draw but not as much as I did before.

During my time at the V.C.A. I started reading science fiction novels and regularly read articles in New Scientist. Dolly the cloned sheep was introduced to the world and talk of farming organs and headless human beings in laboratories featured on the national and international news. There was the successful transplant of a dead mans hand to that of another who had lost his and claims that there were scientists in Italy who had cloned the first human.

All this started to feed my morbid imagination and stirred up images of twisted genetic mutations and body parts hanging like sausages and cured meat in laboratories around the world. Questions like, What was to become of the sacred body, our soul's home if we just started to chop it up and sell it? What will be the consequences?, started going around in my head. As you will see throughout images that I will be posting in this blog, it is these three questions that my art mainly focuses on. Even so, I have, in the last 4 or so years also started making works which look at issues related to western medicine and the consumption of pharmaceuticals particularly those which are used for mood enhancement, antidepressants and stimulants.

Whilst this is a very simple over view and introduction to my art I hope that as you browse my blog and revisit over time you may find out more about who I am as an artist and what my art is all about. I also hope my posts and works inspiring, challenging and maybe at times a little confronting. I wish this blog can be, not only a place for me to share my finished works, but also an electronic sketchbook where I can discuss my ideas and works in progress. I am certain I am not the only artist out there working with these issues so I hope this blog will also help me to develop a relationship with other similar artists and people who have an interest in science and medicine. Please if you are an artist whose work also explores similar ideas do email me and share links to your work.

Thank you and welcome to my blog!
Kind regards
Kathy