For this project I chose to recreate one of Sir Charles illustration from his ‘The anatomy of the brain, explained in a series of engravings’. In this image, you see the exposed cerebrum inside the skull with the arms and nose of the person visible below. Charles utilizes colors to bring out the details he witnessed in the brain tissue. In particular, the reds and blues provide a beautiful contrast with the tan and black used for the non-brain details. As evident in many of Sir Charles illustrations, the anatomical details are incredibly accurate for the time period, while still expressing a very human element. I believe the humanity in the image stems from the fact that the arms and face are present, rather than just capturing the brain and nervous system in isolation. The clear connection to life was a large reason for why I choose the pieces. In my recreation, I took many artistic liberties but I aimed to capture the spirit of the piece. Unlikely the original image creation method, I decided to recreate the image on a mirror and then photograph that drawing. To begin, I printed a copy of Charles’s original illustration which I then cut to make a stencil. From there, I used the stencil to draw the image on a mirror with dry erase markers. I tried to capture the same kind of contrast between neutral tones and bright colors by using a dark brown marker for the outlines while using the bright blue and red markers for the details. Finally, I took photographs of the drawing in multiple settings. I tried several backgrounds to find complementary colors, as well as photographing myself as the background of the illustration in the same position. While dry erase maker drawings are easily disturbed and erased, the photos allow the recreation to live on and be shared.
- What is this image for?
- This illustration was created to show the anatomy of the brain.
- Where is the image coming from? What do we know of its source? Its audience?
- This illustration comes from a series of drawing and engravings by Sir Charles Bell on the nervous system and the brain. These images were created for Bell’s lectures and discussion on the nervous system, primarily with in the scientific and medical community. However, I like to think these stunning images can be enjoyed by all.
Materials & measurements
- Can we identify all the materials needed to make it?
- While this image was engraved and colored by hand, I will be recreating the image on a mirror with markers and taking photographs. To do this I will need a printer to printer, a box cutter, tape, multiple dry erase markers, a mirror, a sheet for backdrop, and a phone to take the picture.
- Are there multiple varieties of tools used to make it?
- The original image was crated with a small number of tools but the image can be replicated in a multitude of ways!
- What is the stability of a material over time?
- Dr.Bell’s original image is very long lasting. My recreation using dry erase markers is not stable. Slight things can disturb the lines. However, the images I take of the drawing will be very stable over time!
Tools & equipment
- What tools are necessary?
- I will need a printer to printer, a box cutter, tape, multiple dry erase markers, a mirror, a sheet for backdrop, and a phone to take the picture.
- What are the best ways to replicate the effects of inaccessible tools?
- In an attempt to capture some of the human element expressed in Bell’s original piece, I want to use photography of the image on a mirror. This deviates significantly from Bell’s production method, so I am taking much artistic liberty with this project.
- How do technological changes impact our interpretation/expectation of the image? (e.g., engraving, woodcut, silver chromate)
- Technology has made my interaction with this image possible. From being able to scale the size of the image up, to printing a copy, to taking photographs of the recreations, this project leaned heavily on the use of technology.
FIELD NOTE 1 OF 3
Date: February 5th
People Involved: Me
Location: My Dorm Room
Reconstruction conditions:
I worked on the reconstruction in the mid-afternoon in my room. I played some music quietly and stood at my desk where I could see out the window into the sunny clearing.
Time and duration of reconstruction:
25 minutes from approximately 3pm to 3:30pm
Equipment and tools used:
Box cutter, duck tape, a printed image
Subjective factors, e.g., how things smelled/looked/felt:
My room was really sunny even though it was a cold day outside. To keep the image still while I cut the lines and protect my desk, I taped the image to a carboard box. The sound of the box cutter slicing through the cardboard was a very pleasant sound. It was also very interesting to focus intensely on the lines and curves of the image alone.
Prior knowledge that you have:
I have almost no artistic background but I am perusing a minor in neuroscience so I have taken several courses in the field. Even just knowing the basic anatomical brain structures helped in the reconstruction. It is also so interesting to consider the level of detail expressed in these illustrations which was very high for the time period.
Reflection on your practice:
This section of the project was where a lot of the decision of how I wanted the final product to turn out were made. Because I was trying to cut the major outlines to make sure I had a good stencil, I had to decide which lines were ‘major’ enough to be cut. Obviously if I had cut very detail of the image, I would have cut out every piece of the paper which wouldn’t have made a very good stencil. These decisions shaped how accurate the reconstruction would be but also these decisions make the reconstruction uniquely mine. If another induvial attempted to make the image using this exactly method they would likely make different choices, creating a similar but unique result.
Photos/video documenting process:
I made a video of this process! https://rice.box.com/s/b9sfv6cwubapn6r4n9r1dxo4naee3tyo
Questions that arise:
As I cut the paper, I became concerned about how to fix all the parts of the stencil to the mirror. Would it be better to tape every piece to the mirror or just the edges?
FIELD NOTE 2 OF 3
Date: February 5th
People Involved: Me
Location: My Dorm Room
Reconstruction conditions:
I did this section of the reconstruction directly after cutting the printed image, so I was still in my room which remained sunny.
Time and duration of reconstruction:
1.5 hours from 3:45pm to 5:15pm
Equipment and tools used:
Multiple colored dry erase markers, a mirror, tape, a chair
Subjective factors, e.g., how things smelled/looked/felt:
The next stage of my reconstruction was the copy the image onto the mirror. For this I sat on my chair facing the long mirror I have on my wall. I taped the image onto the mirror at the corners to hold it steady. Because the mirror was on the wall, positing the marker in the right spot was difficult. The muscles in my hand and arms were strained pretty quickly. Because I was drawing on a mirror, it was really hard to see exactly were the lines were in the things being reflected in the mirror. The makers kept blurring into the background. In order to get a better look at what I was drawing I kept holding up a white sheet of paper to give a clean backdrop.
Prior knowledge that you have:
My prior knowledge of how dry erase markers interacts with mirror is what gave me the idea for this project. It was helpful knowing I could easily remove any marks that didn’t fit exactly where I needed them to go
Reflection on your practice:
This section required me to sit in a weird position for a long time which made it slightly more uncomfortable than the previous session. Additionally, I did a significant amount of referencing to the image on my laptop when it came to the details. This section was also significantly less permanent than the previous section. With the box cutter and the paper, any cut I made was going to shape the final outcome. Whereas with dry erase markers, there impermanence made reding and editing very easy.
Photos/video documenting process:
I made a video of this process! https://rice.box.com/s/b9sfv6cwubapn6r4n9r1dxo4naee3tyo
Questions that arise:
Since I was having a difficult time looking at the lines I was drawing during the construction, it got me thinking about what things I could use for the background during the photographic stage of the project.
Briefly after starting the drawing, I also considered if it would have been easier to take the mirror off the wall. Ultimately, I decided to continue but in reflation, laying it horizontally would have been advantageous.
FIELD NOTE 3 OF 3
Date: February 5th & 6th
People Involved: Me
Location: My Dorm Room
Reconstruction conditions:
Part of this was completed in the evening on the 5th as the sun was going down. The rest was completed the next day in the mid-morning.
Time and duration of reconstruction:
Approximately an hour from 5:20pm to 6:30pm. Approximately 1.5 hours from 10am to 11:30am
Equipment and tools used:
The mirror with the copied image, a cell phone with a camera, a bed sheet, a blanket, a large stack of textbooks and cardboard boxes.
Subjective factors, e.g., how things smelled/looked/felt:
The experience with this section of the project changed significantly from the first attempt to the second attempt. The first attempt at photographing the image was a bit frustrating. I was tired after spending a while a while working on this project. The boxes and books I had stacked were precarious and easily toppled over. I also was getting pretty hungry which added to the frustration. I decided to step away and make another run at it the next day.
The next day things felt better and went much quicker. I was really aware of the position of my body as I was taking the picture.
Prior knowledge that you have:
I have done some small photography projects before but nothing quite elaborate.
Reflection on your practice:
This section was probably the hardest part but simultaneously the most rewarding. I got to see the project come together which was really fun! I think the photography stage would have been easier to accomplish in a space that wasn’t my dorm room. Getting the angles and the distances correct in a small space was difficult.
Photos/video documenting process:
Questions that arise:
In reflection, having another person help me take the pictures would have been monumentally helpful.