My yucky muse -- making collages out of an old medical textbook

Collage from old anatomy bookI never wanted to be a doctor, nurse, or ultrasound tech. I don't like thinking about what's underneath my skin. Instead of blood, tissue, sinew and bone, I prefer to believe that I really am made of "sugar, spice and everything nice." 

So why am I so drawn to old anatomical drawings? Yucky images that make my skin crawl?

Recently I found an old medical textbook called Human Microanatomy. Every glossy page is filled with an illustration like this one:
Collage from old anatomy book
Truth be told, most of the illustrations are much grosser. Yet they inspired me…became my muse, even. I selected three full-page drawings as the background for simple collages.
Collage from old anatomy book
I love the title of this illustration -- "Vascularization of the nephron." I turned the man and boy upside down -- instead of pulling him out of the water, the man appears to be extracting him from a tangle of tubes.
Collage from old anatomy book
This one's my favorite -- "Nervous Tissue." The girl comes from a religious book for kids. Can you guess which one is the "bad" girl?

Collage from old anatomy book
This was the first collage I made from the book. I don't love the dark background, but I'm happy with the orange sticker masking the "Lumen Intestini" (which sounds like something off an Olive Garden menu).

Have you ever been inspired by something that repels you? Or is it just me?

Comments

  1. Great pieces of collage! The way you have used these "yucky" images is so original. Waiting to see more of these works (well, you have a bookful of images)!

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    1. Thanks, Eila. I actually am working on another book of color illustrations. Oh boy!

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  2. Wonderful collaging - love the combination of 'yuckiness' and 'normal'!

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  3. Cool and spooky work as usual!
    I totally know what you mean: I am inspired by creepy dolls, and yet I despise them!

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    1. Creepy dolls are great. Many great artists do strange things with them.

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  4. What fantastic, interesting collage's. I love this kind of stuff. I haven't tried it yet, mostly because the art is in piecing the photos together and I am so disorganized. I'm a bit of a befuddled crafter for sure. Your collages tell a story, and I love that!!!

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    1. Thanks, Dana. And you might surprise yourself. I ended up cutting out images I liked, putting them on a big tray and shuffling through them again and again to find ones that might fit the collage I was working on. I had to "audition" lots of different pieces to find the right one. And the more I do it, the easier (and more fun) it is.

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  5. Love these! Especially the first one where you turned the man and boy around. It makes for a wonderful perspective. My hubby bought me a great anatomy book that opens out with different layers of tissue and organs. I'm still thinking about how to use it and incorporate all the wonderful flaps. It has a wonderful tall shape as well.

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    1. Thanks, Tracy. Sounds like you've got a great book to start with. Layers and foldouts, o boy! I'm eager to see what you do with it.

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  6. OMG! I love the way your creative mind plays!!! heeheehee I had to run and get my husband to show him these! You crack me up Claudia!! I love your style and your art! ")

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    1. Thanks, Jackie! I really appreciate your words.

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