Casting. Wax Studies: Degenerative Disease

Artist Statement: Wax Studies- Degenerative Disease

Trish Dobson

I feel an intense pull toward classic anatomical studies due to my intrest in Leonardo DaVinci as a child. The loose flowing lines and the attention to detailed markings have always been part of my aesthetic. In this project, I channeled my anatomical curiosity into a series that delves into the process of a degenerative virus eating away at a flesh-like form. 

In preparation for this series, I did studies on human anatomy and how it transformed from the skeletal structure , through the muscle systems, the tendons and veins, and finally being incased in the protective smooth finish of the skin. It is almost poetic how these forms ebb and flow into one another creating a network of communication  and stability.  Throughout the eight part series, I echoed the natural forms found throughout the body and slowly introduced the foreign "bumps" that resemble the virus consuming and eating away at the flesh. The final result is the transformation of the body from the skin to the skeletal remains. 

I  chose a specific complementary orange/blue color palette to reference the transition of skin tones, flesh, veins and bones reserving highlights and bright regions for the areas the virus was actively consuming. I feel this complementary system of color demonstrates the harmony and flow found in the human body and the highlighted regions show what happens when this harmony is disrupted. Also, the transition of warm color to cool color and the reserve represented the phenomena of cold and fever in the body, the two most common symptoms associated with disease.