The last decade has revealed a burgeoning interest and fascination with human skin, particularly among philosophers, writers, artists and designers. Meanwhile, regenerative medicine has seen major advances in the development of artificial skin designed to improve the structure, function and appearance of the body surface that has been damaged by disease, injury or ageing. So there couldn't be a better time to get under the surface of this subject.--Lucy Shanahan, Wellcome Collection Curator and co-curator of 'Skin'
I have been hearing excellent reports from scores of people about the new Wellcome Collection exhibition entitled, simply, 'Skin.' Sadly, I will not be able to see it in person (as it closes on September 2th), but the images above--most drawn from the exhibition website--and the web exhibition text make it clear that the Wellcome has done it again: a thoughtful, broadly considered, and lovely investigation and survey into the science, meaning, art, and implications of the notion of 'skin.'
More about the show, from the press release:
The skin is our largest organ. It gives us a vital protective layer, is crucial for our sense of touch and provides us with a highly sensitive and visible interface between our inner body and the outside world. Spots, scars, moles, wrinkles, tans and tattoos: the look of skin can reveal much about an individual's lifestyle, health, age and personality, as well as their cultural and religious background. The skin is also remarkable for its ability to regenerate and repair itself.
The multidisciplinary exhibition 'Skin' takes a predominantly historical approach, beginning with early anatomical thought in the 16th and 17th centuries, when, for anatomists, the skin was simply something to be removed and discarded in order to study the internal organs. The story continues through the 18th and 19th centuries and approaches its conclusion in the 20th century, by which time the skin was considered to be of much greater significance and studied as an organ in its own right.
The exhibition will incorporate early medical drawings, 19th-century paintings, anatomical models and cultural artefacts juxtaposed with sculpture, photography and film works by artists including Damien Hirst, Helen Chadwick and Wim Delvoye.
The 'Skin' exhibition will be complemented by the 'Skin Lab', which features artistic responses to developments in plastic surgery, scar treatments and synthetic skin technologies, including two newly commissioned works by the artists Rhian Solomon and Gemma Anderson. Visitors are invited to participate in an interactive and sensory experience - experimenting with skin-flap models used in plastic surgery, trying on latex skin-suits or studying biological jewelery.
For more about the exhibition including hours and visiting information, visit the Wellcome Collection website by clicking here. You can visit the image galleries--from which most of the above images were pulled and which contain many more riches--by clicking here.; Credits and captions for images follow. Also, if you are, like me, a fan of the Wellcome and its work, you won't want to miss tonight's lecture at Observatory featuring Wellcome Collection curator Kate Forde; click here for more on that.
Images:
- Wax Model, Tiña favosa generalizada (Widespread tinea favosa), c. 1881, by Enrique Zofío Dávila, courtesy of Olavide Museum, Madrid
- Xteriors VIII' by Desiree Dolron, 2001-08. Reminiscent of Dutch Old Master painting, this ethereal photograph seamlessly blends the everyday with the historical and the mythical. It creates an atmosphere of melancholy associated with death, which is implied in the gaunt form and ghostly pallor of the child's skin, though the true narrative remains a mystery.
- Superficial blood vessels of the head and neck. Coloured mezzotint by J F Gautier d'Agoty, 1748. In some écorché drawings, the skin is only partially removed.
- Vertebral column with dissections of nerves and blood vessels, with skin in the background, and (left) the figure of a man representing Ecclesiastes. After Johann Georg Pintz, 1731.
- Vagina, perineum and anus, from 'Nouvelles Demonstrations d'Accouchemens'. Jacques-Pierre Maygrier, 1822-25.
- Human skin hanging in a frame. Thomas Bartholin, 1651.
- Démence Précoce Catatonique Dermographisme. L Trepsat, 1893. From 'Nouvelle Iconographie de la Salpêtrière', 1904. During the second hald of the 19th century, the belief spread that the phenomenon of dermatographism (or 'dermographism', or 'skin writing') was linked to hysteria and other mental or nervous disorders. Here a female patient at the Salpêtrière hospital in Paris has had her diagnosis 'Démence précoce' (dementia praecox) 'written' on
her back. - Areas of psoriasis on the back of a 30-year-old man, c. 1905.
- A notebook allegedly covered in human skin, c. 1770-1850. The label reads: "The cover of this book is made of Tanned skin of the Negro whose Execution caused the War of Independence". This presumably refers to Crispus Attucks, who was the only black victim of the Boston Massacre of 1770, and who was immediately celebrated as an American hero. In 1888 a memorial to him was erected on Boston Common. If authentic, this exhibit might therefore, somewhat couterintuitively, suggest an act of honour and acclaim. Close examination suggests that the cover is probably not made of human skin.
- A selection of tattoos on human skin. Anonymous, 1850-1920. Selected from over 300 examples of human skin collected by Henry Wellcome, these specimens are most likely to be French in origin and date from 1850 to1920. The tattoos were bought in Paris in June 1929 by Peter Johnston-Saint, one of Wellcome's purchasing agents. The seller was osteologist and anatomist, La Vallete, who had obtained some of his collection of specimens through his work at Parisian military establishments and prisons. The crude designs in this selection are mainly of nude female figures, which were often worn by prostitutes as markers of their trade, but were also popular among seamen, soldiers and prisoners as reminders of a woman left behind, or as general sexual fantasies.
- "The Secret Museum" Exhibition Opening, Observatory, This Saturday, April 10, 7-10 PM - April 6th, 2010 [April 6th, 2010]
- Job Opportunities at the Medical Museion, University of Copenhagen - April 9th, 2010 [April 9th, 2010]
- "The Secret Museum" Exhibition Opening, Observatory, TONIGHT! April 10, 7-10 PM - April 10th, 2010 [April 10th, 2010]
- Animal Body Worlds at the Neunkirchen Zoo, Saarland, Germany - April 11th, 2010 [April 11th, 2010]
- Congress for Curious People: Lectures Begin Tomorrow Night at the Coney Island Museum! - April 12th, 2010 [April 12th, 2010]
- A Brief History of Automata, An Illustrated Lecture and Demonstration by Mike Zohn, Obscura Antiques and Oddities, TONIGHT! Coney Island Museum - April 14th, 2010 [April 14th, 2010]
- "The Brading Collection of Taxidermy, Waxworks, Costume and Similar Items," Duke's Auction House, Dorset, April 13th (Today!) - April 15th, 2010 [April 15th, 2010]
- Charles Wilson Peale and the Birth of the American Museum, Coney Island Museum, Tonight!!! - April 16th, 2010 [April 16th, 2010]
- "The Congress for Curious People," Epic 2-Day Symposium Begins Tomorrow!!! - April 16th, 2010 [April 16th, 2010]
- "A History of Taxidermy: Art, Science and Bad Taste," An Illustrated Presentation By Dr. Pat Morris, Congress for Curious People, Coney Island Museum - April 17th, 2010 [April 17th, 2010]
- The Dance of Death, 1919, Attributed to Josef Fenneker - April 20th, 2010 [April 20th, 2010]
- "Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads" Book and Lecture by Stephen Asma, Thursday April 22, Observatory - April 21st, 2010 [April 21st, 2010]
- "The Silken Web: The Erotic World of Paris, 1920-1946," Mel Gordon Lecture at Observatory, Tomorrow April 20th - April 21st, 2010 [April 21st, 2010]
- "Museums, Monsters and the Moral Imagination" Lecture by Stephen Asma, Tonight!, Observatory - April 22nd, 2010 [April 22nd, 2010]
- "The Rogue Taxidermy Kunstkammer," The Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists, La Luz de Jesus, Los Angeles - April 23rd, 2010 [April 23rd, 2010]
- "Anatomical Art: Dissection to Illustration," Exhibition Curated by Marie Dauenheimer, Arlington, Virginia - April 26th, 2010 [April 26th, 2010]
- "Excellent Old-School Science Models," Life Magazine Photo Gallery - April 28th, 2010 [April 28th, 2010]
- "Three Unique Medical Museums in Northern Italy," Lecture by Marie Dauenheimer, Observatory, Saturday May 1 - April 29th, 2010 [April 29th, 2010]
- Tomorrow Night at Observatory! "Three Unique Medical Museums in Northern Italy," Lecture by Marie Dauenheimer - April 30th, 2010 [April 30th, 2010]
- "Imaging / Imagining the Skeleton," Symposium, Tomorrow, Friday, April 30, 1:00-4pm, CUNY Graduate Center - May 1st, 2010 [May 1st, 2010]
- Kabinett des Grotesken ("Cabinet of the Grotesque"), Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité, Spiegel Online - May 4th, 2010 [May 4th, 2010]
- Head of Discovery and Engagement, Wellcome Library, Employment Opportunity - May 5th, 2010 [May 5th, 2010]
- "Experimenting with Death: An Introduction to Terror Management Theory," Lecture, Observatory, Thursday May 6 - May 5th, 2010 [May 5th, 2010]
- The Taxidermy of Mr. Walter Potter and his Museum of Curiosities, Melissa Milgrom - May 6th, 2010 [May 6th, 2010]
- Tonight!!! "Experimenting with Death: An Introduction to Terror Management Theory," Lecture, Observatory - May 6th, 2010 [May 6th, 2010]
- Original Fritz Kahn Posters and Key Booklet, Sotheby's Vintage Posters Auction, May 13 - May 6th, 2010 [May 6th, 2010]
- "The Saddest Object in the World," An Illustrated Meditation, Observatory, Friday, May 7th - May 7th, 2010 [May 7th, 2010]
- "An Atlas of Topographical Anatomy after Plane Sections of Frozen Bodies," Christian Wilhelm Braune, 1877 - May 7th, 2010 [May 7th, 2010]
- Tonight!!! "The Saddest Object in the World," An Illustrated Meditation, Observatory - May 9th, 2010 [May 9th, 2010]
- Various works by Francois Maréchal - May 13th, 2010 [May 13th, 2010]
- The Pennsylvania Medical Humanities Consortium, May 19-20, College of Physicians, Philadelphia PA - May 14th, 2010 [May 14th, 2010]
- Morbid Magicians, Demented Doctors, and Sinister Swamis: The Golden Age of the American Spook Show, Observatory, Monday, May 17 - May 14th, 2010 [May 14th, 2010]
- Frank Frazetta, Renowned Fantasy Artist, Dies at 82 - May 15th, 2010 [May 15th, 2010]
- San Francisco Zen Center presents ‘The Accidents of our Materials’ with sculptors Arthur Ganson & Elizabeth King - May 18th, 2010 [May 18th, 2010]
- Various Works by George Washington Thomas Lambert - May 19th, 2010 [May 19th, 2010]
- The Never-Realized Führermuseum, Linz, Austria - May 21st, 2010 [May 21st, 2010]
- Proteus Gowanus Benefit/Anniversary Party, Saturday, May 22nd, 7-10 p.m. - May 21st, 2010 [May 21st, 2010]
- "Many Dead Things: The Specimens of Alex CF," Superette Gallery, London - May 22nd, 2010 [May 22nd, 2010]
- "The Secret Museum," Photography Exhibition, Observatory, Closes June 6th - May 23rd, 2010 [May 23rd, 2010]
- Various Figure Drawings by Sergio Lopez - May 24th, 2010 [May 24th, 2010]
- "Another Science Fiction," Tomorrow, Tuesday May 25, 86th Street Barnes and Noble, 7 PM, NYC - May 24th, 2010 [May 24th, 2010]
- The Secret Museum Website and Exhibition Closing Party - May 27th, 2010 [May 27th, 2010]
- Oxberry Pegs Presents: Animators Are God? Series, "The Clay Animation of Jimmy Picker," Saturday May 29th, Observatory - May 28th, 2010 [May 28th, 2010]
- Exhibition to Revisit Contemporary Korean Art - May 28th, 2010 [May 28th, 2010]
- Portrait Sketches by Luke Kopycinski - May 28th, 2010 [May 28th, 2010]
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Confiscated Items Online Auction, Ongoing - May 29th, 2010 [May 29th, 2010]
- Despite Tightening Up Of Society, Iranian Art Sees A Boom - May 29th, 2010 [May 29th, 2010]
- Various Works by Santiago Rusiñol - May 29th, 2010 [May 29th, 2010]
- Various works by Tina Spratt - May 30th, 2010 [May 30th, 2010]
- MAXXI Gallery, Rome’s First Contemporary Art Museum Opens Its Doors - May 31st, 2010 [May 31st, 2010]
- Michelangelo’s Hidden Sistine Chapel Message Discovered - May 31st, 2010 [May 31st, 2010]
- Various Works by Dorian Iten - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- Monet’s Water-Lily Painting For Sale - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- Secret Museum Closing Party and Morbid Anatomy Library/Observatory Open Studios, This Weekend! - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- Art Students League of Denver Summer Art Market - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian (c. 200 CE) - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- "I’m Officially Obsessed with Observatory," Melissa Stern for Time Out New York, June 2010 - June 4th, 2010 [June 4th, 2010]
- Gallery Nucleus Presents Enchanté - June 4th, 2010 [June 4th, 2010]
- Various Works by Edward Kinsella - June 4th, 2010 [June 4th, 2010]
- Renowned Sculpture Artist Louise Bourgeois Dies - June 4th, 2010 [June 4th, 2010]
- Various Works by Paul Gauguin - June 5th, 2010 [June 5th, 2010]
- Various Works by Stephen Pan - June 6th, 2010 [June 6th, 2010]
- Bravo Premieres “Work of Art” Reality Show - June 6th, 2010 [June 6th, 2010]
- Art of Photography Show – Entry Deadline June 7th - June 6th, 2010 [June 6th, 2010]
- "Anatomical Venuses, The Slashed Beauty, and Fetuses Dancing a Jig" Lecture, Coney Island Museum, Sunday June 13th, 4:30 PM - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Amazing Auction Alert! "The Gallery of Creation, a Museum of Natural History, Created by Joseph Hurt Studio, Inc.", Friday and Saturday, June 25 & 26 - June 9th, 2010 [June 9th, 2010]
- Various Works by Ron Hicks - June 10th, 2010 [June 10th, 2010]
- Two Upcoming Events at Observatory by Torino:Margolis - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- This Sunday! "Anatomical Venuses, The Slashed Beauty, and Fetuses Dancing a Jig" Lecture, Coney Island Museum, Sunday June 13th, 4:30 PM - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Various Works by Lui Ferreyra - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- "Borrowed from the Charnel House," Saul Chernick, Opening Tonight, NYC! - June 12th, 2010 [June 12th, 2010]
- Zoe Beloff London Engagements, Tonight and Tomorrow Night, June 10th and 11 - June 12th, 2010 [June 12th, 2010]
- Various Works by John M Collier - June 14th, 2010 [June 14th, 2010]
- “Show Time” by Mariano Steiner - June 15th, 2010 [June 15th, 2010]
- This Friday at Observatory! "The Anatomical Unconscious: X-Ray Specs, Visible Women, and the Eros of the Unseen," With Cult Author Mark Dery - June 18th, 2010 [June 18th, 2010]
- "Woman Advertising J.M. Dolph, Furniture Maker and Undertaker," Cabinet card, circa 1877 - June 19th, 2010 [June 19th, 2010]
- Various works by Karol Bak - June 22nd, 2010 [June 22nd, 2010]
- Amazing Auction Alert #2: "The Owsten Collection," June 25th and 26th, Sydney, Australia - June 23rd, 2010 [June 23rd, 2010]
- The Art of the Potentially Deadly Deal: Marketing Heroin on the Street - June 24th, 2010 [June 24th, 2010]
- This Tuesday at Observatory! Torino:Margolis Performance - June 28th, 2010 [June 28th, 2010]