Medical Humanities Commons^™

Artistic Embodiment: The Role Of Art-Based Research In Communicating Disability Experiences, Juliana Scheopner

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Visual art has immense potential to communicate complex experiences of disability. As a disabled artist, I am interested in how disability has been portrayed in artwork, particularly in how other disabled artists choose to represent their lived experiences. Through art-based research, this study explores how disabled artists have used portraiture to depict their disability. Selected art includes work from Frida Kahlo, Deborah Padfield, Persimmon Blackbridge, and the author. Following an analysis of literature, selected artworks, and salient disability scholarship, emergent themes were identified. The focus on the complexity of disability experiences demonstrated the importance of considering a wide range of …

The Dental Phantom As A Tool For Exploring Fear, The Face, And Dental Education, Christine Slobogin Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dental phantoms have been used in dental education since the late nineteenth century. These pedagogical objects – particularly those from the first half of the twentieth century – have today enjoyed a resurgence of interest in the art and film worlds. After first outlining the history and pedagogical purposes of the dental phantom, this article examines what the artistic and filmic attractions to the aesthetics of these objects can tell us about fear, the mouth and the face, and dental education. How and why can a dental teaching tool be scary? Arriving at some answers to this question – reached …

I Want You To Want Me, Marianne Koleng

be Still

This piece calls to the theme of "attention" through a mixed media piece incorporating collage, ink, and colored pencil. It embraces the nuances of both anatomy and popular music, rock-and-roll, to be specific. The title is taken from the popular song by Cheap Trick, of the same name in an effort to elude to the desire for human attention in a human form.

Even Flow, Marianne Koleng

be Still

This piece attempts to connect the "ebb and flow" of music and art with the sometimes strict interpretation of anatomy. It calls to attention what often seem as opposites - the cold nature of medicine and science with the seemingly warm and free nature of music and art. While many see them as opposites, this piece attempts to convey they are really two sides of the same coin.

Pick & Choose, Sana Lulu

be Still

To me, attention goes hand in hand with patience and is a core part of my creative process. When it comes to my art, I generally ride inconsistent waves of inspiration, meaning I often churn out pieces all in one session, finessing a piece until I am satisfied. In that span of time, all that matters to me is getting my piece as close to how I picture it in my mind as possible, giving it my full undivided attention. I tend to fixate on projects and have a hard time revisiting them once I decide to end the session. …

Frankenstein Colorized, Marianne Koleng

be Still

One of my favorite novel's growing up was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I see Frankenstein's desire to create a "Monster" as a way to grasp at the fundamental human drive for connection, and healing through connection. In this piece, I attempt to bring that inner yearning for fundamental connection to paper.

Beyond Myself - Healing Through Pain, Marianne Koleng

be Still

In this piece I reflect on the importance of setbacks, non-linear growth, injuries, and pain and their ability to provide self-reflection, a platform for growth, and an crucial reminder of the fragility of life. I have often been self-critical for not following a "traditional" path in life, and reflecting on my experiences allows me to show myself grace and hopefully may influence others to do so as well.

Art Of Aging – A Portraiture Study, Alaina Mann

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The process of aging can be viewed through different lenses within our society. In the past, scientists and medical professionals performed various studies to better understand and analyze different facets of aging, medicine, and health in general. Historically the arts have reflected multiple aspects of medicine and treatments while more recently, the arts have been used in a research capacity to provide different ways to represent illness, suffering, and care. This study used art-based research methods and portraiture to gather qualitative observations on the older populations within our community. Data collected included drawings, a field journal, and interviews. This study …

Art For Healing: Fostering Creativity And Compassion In Medical Education, Salma Emara

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

A physician's career is shaped by a need for constant learning and adapting to the world around them. Similarly, the medical school curriculum is ever evolving in order to train and shape medical students into the best physicians they can become. In recent years, the search has shifted to a need for the well-rounded physician: one not only with medical competency, but also skills of effective communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence, and empathy. Although the visual arts has been used as a teaching tool throughout centuries, it still has not officially become part of …

Vaccinate: Posters From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aaron Sutherlen, Judy Diamond, Meghan Leadabrand, Julia Mcquillan, St Patrick Reid

Zea E-Books Collection

In 2022 we are living through a global pandemic, and vaccines are one of the most effective strategies for slowing the spread of infectious disease, minimizing symptoms, and lowering healthcare demands. In short, vaccines save lives and can reduce the risk of contagion from social interaction.

In the United States in late 2021, after the vaccines had been broadly available for almost a year, one in five adults still chose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Art can disrupt what is embedded in our minds and open us up to new perspectives and insights. We hope to offer access to …

In The Face Of Conflict, Mohammed Khatib

be Still

In the chaos of conflict, amongst the confusion, emotion, and fear lies truth like the eye of a raging storm. Within this, one may find peace, tranquility, and the storm will follow in suit.

Sorrow Cannot Resurrect, Sharon Mathew

be Still

The magenta skull symbolizes life and death while the sword passing through the skull is a symbol of life’s ever present cycle of conflicts, grief, and sorrow. The ambiguous gray of the sword is used to convey the fact that we will all encounter an incredibly vast variety of struggles throughout the course of our lives. It is also outlined with gold detailing as a play on the phrase “every cloud has a silver lining. As the sword pierces the skull, out pours technicolor tears and blood. The bright colors represent the immense beauty and growth that we can find …

A Moment Of Peace: An Artistic Representation Of The Influence Of Healthcare On Social Disruption, Nafisa Choudhury

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

This original pen-and-ink artwork features a lily on the water symbolizing peace. As war, distrust, chaos and coups wreak havoc throughout many developing nations, healthcare workers and public health officials should be encouraged that we do in fact have a part to play in managing the human health affected by the disruption. Health work can provide a zone of comfort, spread solidarity and understanding, and manage the human toll of war. Healthcare workers have major roles in peace-keeping efforts as a result of these determinations and their impact on peace should be acknowledged and lauded. We hope that as we …

Movement In Stillness, Shalini Chaliki

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

These images feature the Lower Antelope Canyon which was originally called Hasdestwazi, a Navajo word that means “spiral rock arches.” After hundreds of years, monsoons, winds, and flash floods eroded the slot canyon into the geological wonder that it is today. It enchants tourists and engulfs visitors as it flows around them in every direction. Just east of Page, Arizona, the massive sandstone formation is sacred to the Navajo Nation for its representation of Mother Nature’s many gifts and the passage to time; it is also a reminder that things are larger and greater than ones’ self. While these photos …

We’Re All On This Spaceship Earth, Nancy Si

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The photo features the geodesic sphere at Epcot, Disney World in Orlando, FL. Inside the dome, there was an iconic ride called “Spaceship Earth”, which has since been shut down for refurbishment. This photo was taken November 2019, approximately 6 months before it was shut down. Much like how the ride emphasized the progress that human civilization has made in the last several hundred years and hopes to make in years to come, the current pandemic has shown us how far we have come in the medicine and other STEM fields. We hope only to do better and be better …

Heart Grows Fonder, Jasmine Saini

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

This painting was inspired by one patient’s mindfulness practice that he developed to cope with depression of a recent loved one’s death. Similar to my family of green thumbs, this patient found catharsis in cultivating his late wife’s garden of fruits and vegetables after her death. Through mental health practices such as meditation and exercise, a person has a chance to process and heal from difficult circumstances.

Gautama Buddha: Illustration Of A Patient’S Vision, Haryashpal Bhullar

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

As a psychiatrist in training, I often have the privilege to connect with the unique thoughts and visions patients may be experiencing. The descriptions shared by one patient during my early psychiatry inpatient rotations stuck with me and eventually inspired me to pursue a residency in the field. While interviewing, she expressed a deep spirituality and often finding solace in the mindfulness teachings of Gautama Buddha whenever she was distressed. She would strengthen this coping mechanism by contemplating him sitting and meditating deeply, within a naturalistic setting, however struggled in describing exactly what she was imagining. I further gathered this …

Creatively Exploring Self: Applying Organic Inquiry, A Transpersonal And Intuitive Methodology, Larisa J. Bardsley Phd

The Qualitative Report

This article explores the merit of using Organic Inquiry, a qualitative research approach that is most effectively applied to areas of psychological and spiritual growth. Organic Inquiry is a research approach where the psyche of the researcher becomes the instrument of the research, working in partnership with the experiences of participants and guided by liminal and spiritual influences. Organic Inquiry is presented as a unique methodology that can incorporate other non-traditional research methods, including intuitive, autoethnographic and creative techniques. The validity and application of Organic Inquiry, as well as its strengths and limitations are discussed in the light of the …

Hx Of, Bonni Boles

Akesis

My purpose in creating this comic strip was to tell a story that depicts some of the struggles I have had with the health care system and how a patient's history can go overlooked. I suffered from chronic insomnia for over 10 years before a licensed professional counselor, someone tasked with actually listening to me, helped me to get on medication to help with sleep. My mental health, and general health, problems became much less severe and more manageable after finally sleeping regularly.

Sleep hygiene has been found to not have much success with chronic insomnia. I didn't need someone …

Clay And Stone, Jess W. Rempel

Akesis

Clay handprints on a canyon wall in southern Utah, found after the people who made them had gone. The Navajo sandstone of the canyon wall dates to the Jurassic period, with a record of eons revealed by the water that carved the canyon away. People love to leave their mark on places that make marks on them: some of the earliest recorded graffiti in Pompeii simply read "Gaius was here." I enjoyed stumbling upon the hand prints which allowed me into the hikers' experience, and their joy could add to the lasting impression that place made upon me. Our experiences …

Empathy In Aging, Morgan Kranz, James Charles Arendt

Honors Theses

Empathy in Agingis a project exploring how to show compassion for the inevitable aging process. This form of care is physical and mental. The concept for this work comes from my time working as a nursing assistantin a nursing home. Through my experiences, this project explores what I took away through observation and interaction

A New Generation For Art And Science, Alice Marie Perreault

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

My interest in this cross-over between art and science, specifically, the body and supportive technologies, has lead me to mixed media and installations where I can examine degeneration and a “new” generation using a combination of conventional and unconventional materials. Unlike re-generation, which is a return to an original state, “new” generation gives way to new arrangements.

About Logan Weihe And Beloved Microcosm, Logan M. Weihe

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

No abstract provided.

Art And Medicine: A Collaborative Project Between Virginia Commonwealth University In Qatar And Weill Cornell Medicine In Qatar, Amy J. Andres, Thomas R. Himsworth, Alan Weber, Stephen Scott

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Four faculty researchers, two from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, and two from Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar developed a one semester workshop-based course in Qatar exploring the connections between art and medicine in a contemporary context. Students (6 art / 6 medicine) were enrolled in the course. The course included presentations by clinicians, medical engineers, artists, computing engineers, an art historian, a graphic designer, a painter, and other experts from the fields of art, design, and medicine. To measure the student experience of interdisciplinarity, the faculty researchers employed a mixed methods approach involving psychometric tests and observational ethnography. Data …