150 research outputs found
Narrative Remains
Get PDFThe central work of this project was an installation that combined anatomical objects, vitrines, photography and text, alongside a twelve-minute film, exhibited at the Royal College of Surgeons Hunterian Museum, London, 2009. Ingham was invited by Hunterian Director Simon Chaplin to create an artistic response to the museumâs collection of human organs, employed in medical teaching practice. The research continued Inghamâs interest in creating alternative forms and meanings using historical and contemporary medical technologies. Here she focused on the potential for meaning in the anonymised organs, following the loss of identity they undergo through scientific objectification, e.g., donorsâ names replaced by numbers.
Photography, text and vitrine were used to redress the loss of identity in relation to six human anatomical specimens, selected by Ingham from John Hunterâs eighteenth-century collection of specimens. The specimens were exhibited in jars and placed in specially-made vitrines. With each vitrine, the background carried a photographic image of the corresponding body area, and the front glass bore a text written by Ingham. The texts were semi-fictional accounts written for each specimen from the point of view of the donor, imagining their thoughts at the prospect of surrendering the organ. The layering of photograph, specimen, jar, and text, and their movement in relation to one another as one walked around the vitrine, gave the specimen a new narrative and a literal ârememberingâ in relation to the body. A film featuring images of the organs and body parts, with narration of the texts, was also available as another layer for projection onto the vitrines, and also as a stand-alone film.
The project was funded by a Wellcome Trust Arts Award. There were accompanying public engagement events, conferences and subsequent exhibitions and screenings, which are ongoing. The film is part of the Wellcome Collection, making it freely available worldwide
'Tissue to Text: Ars moriendi and the theatre of anatomy'
Get PDFThe dissection of the dead in order to bring
knowledge to the living is a subject I have written
of elsewhere (2004 and 2008), but I want to visit
this territory anew in order to place the theatre of
anatomy and the body therein within a broader
matrix of meanings associated with the memento
mori. I do so as an artist-theorist and my
contribution is designed to bring to the readerâs
attention a number of artistic interventions in
theatres of death where performative elements
are at play. As Maaike Bleeker suggests artists
are becoming increasingly drawn to this rich area
of investigation:
New developments onstage, in contemporary theory
as well as in philosophy, suggest the productivity of
bringing theatre and theory back into the same
room in order to explore alternative conceptions
emerging at the intersection of artistic practices
and philosophical, theoretical and scientific ideas.
(2008: 14â15)
This is precisely what I have endeavoured to
do, to bring theory back into the theatres of the
dead and open the doors to the living that they
might, if only briefly, experience the drama and
the tragedy of these normally forbidden spaces
Variance
Get PDFVariance continues my long-standing interest in the Victorian polymath Francis Galton, having first researched Galton as part of my (2000) publication Deathâs Witness and associated MPhil. This research formed the basis of my (2005) artistâs film Vanitas: Seed-Head, based on Galtonâs composite photographic portraits and his proto-genetic inheritance studies. Variance is also influenced by Galtonâs studies of inheritance (all six photographs are of my extended family) but extends this research into an exploration of his pioneering work on statistics and biometrics. According to Elizabeth Edwards (1997) Francis Galtonâs composite photographs constituted ââŠlived concepts â embodied or concrete ideas to render the unseen or non-existent empirically: in other words, a taxonomic essence within a dialectic of the visible and invisible.â Variance plays on this tension between the seen and unseen, the known and unknown, to comment on the impossibility of ever being able to construct human typologies in the way Galton attempted. Variance incorporates scanning electron microscopy images of brain activity to create a series of âthought portraitsâ, which bring into question contemporary neuro-biological imaging technologies and interpretations, which allegedly allow neuroscientists to âseeâ and âmeasureâ our thoughts and emotions. Variance raises awareness of the hidden nuances of scientific interpretation and meaning that lurk just below the surface of the posited reality of neuroscience
The Anatomy Lesson of Professor Moxham
Get PDFThe study of anatomical structures that can be seen by unassisted vision, has long been a subject of fascination for artists. For most modern viewers, however, the anatomy lesson hardly seems the proper breeding ground for the hybrid workings of art and theory. We forget that, in its early stages, anatomy pursued the highly theatrical spirit of Renaissance science, as painters such as Rembrandt and Da Vinci shared audiences devoted to the workings of the human body. Anatomy Live, a remarkable consideration of new developments on the stage, as well as in contemporary writings of theorists such as Donna Haraway and Brian Massumi, turns our modern notions of the dissecting table on its head-using anatomical theatre as a means of obtaining a fresh perspective on representations of the body, conceptions of subjectivity, and own knowledge about science and the stage
Strong Palliative, But Not a Panacea: Results of an Experiment Teaching Students About Financial Literacy
Get PDFAlthough rising student debt levels are frequently studied, very little attention has been paid to the lack of student financial literacy and its negative effects. The absence of financial management skills and accompanying low credit scores can increase debt, cause inadvertent defaults, and be harmful for both students and their institutions. For these reasons, one Northeastern law school designed, instituted, and studied a pilot financial literacy education course for its law students. This paper presents a detailed description of this course, which was offered on a one-credit, pass/ fail basis over a two-day (14-hour) period. The study involved focus groups and a pre- and post-test questionnaire that was conducted to test its efficacy. The article also describes adaptations made to the course following the study and makes suggestions for course replication. As the study demonstrates, teaching financial literacy to students has measurable benefits, and the prospect of implementing a similar course in a variety of graduate and undergraduate settings merits serious attention. The article also describes avenues for important additional research, including on the longitudinal benefits of financial management education
Pollinator Frocks
Get PDFPollinator Frocks was part of an interdisciplinary public engagement project that sought to use prototype wearable technology clothing to address and to raise awareness of the plight of the worldâs insect pollinators (bees, butterflies and moths and the plants on which they depend). The clothing was designed to work in two ways: (1) to attract insects through vision and smell, and (2) to offer designs that call attention to the decline in numbers of insect pollinators. In collaboration with microscopist engineer Thierry Maffeis at Swansea University, electron microscopy images of plant pollen grains were used by Ingham to create surface pattern designs and clothing, with the designs being influenced by the way insects view flowers, as determined by theories of pattern, iridescence, and bio-mimicry. Alongside this visual design work, printing and coating engineers at Swansea University developed nectar-type coatings, intended to offer pollinators a âfood boostâ, and applied them to the fabric prior to the cutting of the frocks. Eight bio-mimicry designs and six wearable technology garments were produced by Ingham. The combination of visual design and olfactory coating made them âwearable gardensâ that also functioned critically as awareness-raising statements. The project was tested over twelve months through a series of public performances and workshops in New Zealand and the UK, with the principal occasions being the art, technology, culture and ecology event Solar Circuit Aotearoa New Zealand (SCANZ), and a symposium presentation and film screening at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, 2011. Further conference presentations and events followed in Berlin and the UK. The results of the tests were inconclusive and research is ongoing. However there was considerable media interest, as documented in the portfolio of evidence. The project was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, Wales Arts International, and the New Zealand Arts Council
A qualitative study of prescription contraception use: the perspectives of users, general practitioners and pharmacists
No full textBackground: The oral contraceptive pill (OCP) remains the most popular form of prescription contraception in many countries, despite adherence difficulties for many. Uptake of long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), which are less reliant on user adherence, remains low. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of, and attitudes towards, prescription contraception amongst samples of contraception users, general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists.Methodology and Finding: We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 18 contraception users, 18 GPs and 9 pharmacists. The study took place in Galway, Republic of Ireland between June and September 2014. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Overall, contraception users were more familiar with the OCP, and all the women interviewed began their prescription contraception journey using this method. All participants identified episodes of poor adherence throughout the reproductive life course. The identified barriers for use of LARCs were lack of information, misconceptions, lack of access and high cost. In contrast, GPs believed that adherence to the OCP was good and stated they were more likely to prescribe the OCP than other methods, as they were most familiar with this option.Barriers to prescribing LARCs were time, cost to practice, training and deskilling. Pharmacists also believed that adherence to the OCP was generally good and that their role was limited to dispensing medication and providing information when asked.Discussion and Conclusion: There are contrasting perspectives between contraception service providers and contraceptive users. Training for healthcare providers is required to support informed contraceptive choice and adherence. It is necessary to address the practice barriers of cost and lack of time, to promote better communication around adherence issues and prescription contraception options. There is a need for more easily-accessible public health information to promote awareness on all methods of prescription contraception.<br/
Process simulation and thermodynamic analysis of a micro turbine with post-combustion CO2 capture and exhaust gas recirculation
Get PDFWith the effects of the emissions from power plants causing global climate change, the trend towards lower emission systems such as natural gas power plant is increasing. In this paper a Turbec T100 micro gas turbine is studied. The system is assessed thermodynamically using a steady-state model; model results of its alteration with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) are presented in this paper. The process simulation with EGR offers a useful assessment when integrated with post-combustion CO2 capture. The EGR model results in the enrichment of the CO2 which decrease the energy demand of the CO2 capture system
Exome sequencing identifies a missense mutation in Isl1 associated with low penetrance otitis media in dearisch mice
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