Linda Carreiro finds an unusual passion in creating artwork inspired by human cadavers.
She spoke Monday at the Penn Humanities Forum about "Anatomical Devices and Corporeal Texts," in which she detailed her methods of artistry.
At the University of Calgary, Carreiro works in an anatomy lab teaching students how to dissect bodies. She said that although she experiences trepidation and anxiety when she enters the lab, she finds "excitement in peeling back the layers" of the body -- literally referring to skin, muscles and bones.
These layers play a key role in Carreiro's art. She uses each piece of the body -- which she explores in depth during her anatomy lab -- as a metaphor for her life.
In her piece "Archives," Carreiro matches an image of a tongue with the word "langue" -- to describe the difficulty she had learning French -- all etched on a sheet on linen paper.
She believes that the purpose of her art is to translate anatomical ideas into metaphorical readings.
Using her knowledge about the history of the study of anatomy, Carreiro creates references to previous medical practices within her art. She also explores controversial topics such as grave-robbing.
Discussing the change in the field of anatomy from its beginnings in the 17th century, she noted that early pictures of the human body blurred the boundaries between life and death. Artists often depicted skeletons walking around town doing daily chores.
More recent drawings, however, are done with diagrammatic clarity. They display intricate details that make the human body unrecognizable.
Carreiro does not follow the recent trend. Instead, she incorporates text into her art because she believes that language plays a significant role in the understanding of the body. She feels that words give her artwork an identity.
Carreiro said that she cannot expect everyone to understand all of the layers in her pieces, but she hopes that the public will still be able to appreciate them.
She and the attendees seemed to see her art in the same light.
"I loved the talk because it was from an artist, but it was also historical," said Jamie Taylor, a graduate student in Comparative Literature.
