VISUALIZING MEDICAL PROGRESS, 8/7 ->

by Vesna Jovanovic

Two new shows at the International Museum of Surgical Science!

“Redefining the Medical Artist” a group exhibition of work by members of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Biomedical Visualization program

“Pareidolia” a solo show of drawings and other works on paper by Chicago artist Vesna Jovanovic, as part of its ongoing “Anatomy in the Gallery” contemporary art program.

WHEN
opening Friday, August 7, 2009,5:00 to 8:00pm, free!
Through October 17.

WHERE
1524 N. Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago, IL 60610 USA
312.642.6502
fax 312.642.9516
info@imss.org

“Redefining the Medical Artist” features state-of-the-art scientifically accurate representations of the body in various media by students, alumni, and faculty of UIC’s Biomedical Visualization graduate program. Their work stems from the tradition of medical illustration founded by the 16th-century physician Vesalius, who first sought to communicate anatomical knowledge through visual means; however, these contemporary medical artists have grown far beyond drawing from dissection. They now create animations, digital renderings, and three-dimensional models to depict biomedical procedures, processes, and phenomena—illustrating the progress of medicine as well as that of visual technology. The Biomedical Visualization program at UIC program is among the largest in the nation and the only one to have a Virtual Reality in Medicine Laboratory.

Jovanovic’s exhibition highlights her series of ink spill drawings that explore the psychological phenomenon of pareidolia, in which a vague and random stimulus, often an image, is perceived as being significant—for example, when people imagine that they see animals or faces in clouds. Originally trained in chemistry, Jovanovic now uses art as an alternate avenue of inquiry, one that reveals open-ended questions rather than reductive formulae. She received her MFA in Photography from Ohio State University and currently teaches ceramics at Loyola University in Chicago. The “Pareidolia” exhibition will be open to the press for preview beginning Friday, July 31. Further details about Jovanovic and her work can be found at: www.vesnaonline.com.

Housed in a landmark turn-of-the-century mansion, the International Museum of Surgical Science is located at 1524 North Lake Shore Drive, one-half block south of North Avenue, in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood.

It is open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission costs $10 for adults and $6 for students with ID and seniors age 60 and older. On Tuesdays admission is free. For more information about the Museum, call 312.642.6502.