Science, art or oddity?

The Guardian has more photos of the subjects:

Guardian

It's all three.

I like the way he differentiates with great detail the different organs of the body.

I took a quick look at your first link and decided I could do without it. I think oddity is a mild description of what he does.

Now excuse me while I duck under my desk before the art majors get here.

I'm sorry Acquiunk! I'll put a warning up in that first post.

I was trying to be funny... sort of. My sense of humor is an oddity.

More seriously, I do not find this kind of art very creative. It is in my opinion more voyeurisim than art. Perhaps more physiology and anatomy then anything else.

Perhaps his work isn't "pure" art, but practical art is in the same ballpark. He's certainly showing the truth as he understands truth.

Acq - I'm glad you aren't thoroughly grossed out!

Noddy, yeah, maybe practical art?

I guess I don't really consider it an art form. But, it's seems to be displayed as such in some cases.

I have mixed feeling about this too. It's unsettling to know that his art consists of dead human beings.

While we're on the subject, here is another unusual website:

http://www.seemerot.com/

To my mind, "See Me Rot" does not speak of the glory of the universe.

"Body Worlds" does.

eew. I can't help but think that she's not actually a dead person.

That is damn odd. I think I'm all set with going to one of those exhibits.

Noddy

I agree that "See Me Rot" is merely unusual, where Body Worlds is extraordinary.

It looks like the phrase "rest in peace" is not meant for everyone that has passed away.

Very confronting, littlek. I'm not sure what I think, either. I wonder about the body "donors" & I wonder about the artist's intentions. Hmmm, I'll have to think on this a bit more.

(I keep thinking of words of the Dalai Lama, how we humans are simply flesh, blood & bones, nothing more .... & not to take our mortal lives too seriously, I guess. But it's hard not to take the remains of a person, or animal for that matter, seriously. That life, every life meant something. I wonder too, about how the donor would have felt about the "statement "the artist made with their remains? About giving the artist such freedom to do as they wish?)

I'll keep thinking ....

mmm
i remember i posted some thing in this in H.I. a while back...
crazy guy huh

I wouldn't doubt you posted about this! You cover a wide spectrum quite thoroughly. He is an oddball.

I think my biggest question is also along the lines of wondering at the guy's motives.

I've read several articles on his work. He reveres the human body and wants to present its complexity to a lay audience.

I asked my housemate who is a med student at ucla, doing a mph here for a year. She said it was really cool for med students and friends of hers from school have seen the show.

GeneralLee said it was way cooler than cadavers med schools usually use and way more absorbable than text book diagrams and photos. Of course, he's never been in med school, so I'd guess that he's just touting the guys promotional texts.

He colors the the different organs so that they just stand out and apart from each other far more than in a regularly preserved cadaver. That's what I find amazing and fascinating.

I wouldn't mind donating my body to this guy's project. Once I'm dead I won't be needing it anymore anyway.

Infra - I am an organ donor. I'd rather my organs go to another human who can use them in life. If that isn't possible due to circumstances of death, I'd be willing to give him my body too, I think.