List of Courses & Dead People
1. Music History 101: McGuire
2. Analysis & Performance: Alegant
3. Private Lessons: Mahy
4. the Art of Japanese Prints: Chang
5. Opera Theater 305: Stunkel
6. Opera Chorus: Stunkel
Fun Things I will be doing:
1. Dialogues des Carmelites (Nov. 16-20)
2. Junior Recital with Titus (Dec. 3 - 6:30pm)
Last night I went to the BodyWorlds exhibit at the Great Lakes Science Center. It was both creepy and awe-inspiring. Cadavers were on exhibit that had been put through the process of 'plastination' - replacing all fat & water with plastic, which stops the degeneration of the tissues. Most of the bodies didn't have skin, and had various parts opened up to allow the viewer to see particular systems or regions. Organs were also displayed in cases throughout. One of the creepiest things I saw was a series of lungs - healthy lungs, smoker lungs, and coal miner lungs. The healthy lungs looked like light blue sponges, but the coal miner lungs looked like they were made of coal. It reminded me of the lectures from middle school about smoking - but was much more affective.
Afterward I had a great discussion with Elisa about what made her uneasy about it - the study of the body as a series of mechanical processes doesn't sit well with her. The showiness & exhibitionist nature of it seem somehow disrespectful. But after seeing it, I think that it is more glorifying the body than anything else - though I tend not to agree with the creator's vision of himself as an artist. I think the body itself is beautiful, but arranging a cadaver into the position of a skateboarder or skier does not convince me of its status as art. Allowing the general public to see bodies in a way that only scientists & doctors would get to see otherwise is a great service, I think. But the addition of fake eyes to some of the bodies/cadavers was a little over-the-top haunted-house fare.
2. Analysis & Performance: Alegant
3. Private Lessons: Mahy
4. the Art of Japanese Prints: Chang
5. Opera Theater 305: Stunkel
6. Opera Chorus: Stunkel
Fun Things I will be doing:
1. Dialogues des Carmelites (Nov. 16-20)
2. Junior Recital with Titus (Dec. 3 - 6:30pm)
Last night I went to the BodyWorlds exhibit at the Great Lakes Science Center. It was both creepy and awe-inspiring. Cadavers were on exhibit that had been put through the process of 'plastination' - replacing all fat & water with plastic, which stops the degeneration of the tissues. Most of the bodies didn't have skin, and had various parts opened up to allow the viewer to see particular systems or regions. Organs were also displayed in cases throughout. One of the creepiest things I saw was a series of lungs - healthy lungs, smoker lungs, and coal miner lungs. The healthy lungs looked like light blue sponges, but the coal miner lungs looked like they were made of coal. It reminded me of the lectures from middle school about smoking - but was much more affective.
Afterward I had a great discussion with Elisa about what made her uneasy about it - the study of the body as a series of mechanical processes doesn't sit well with her. The showiness & exhibitionist nature of it seem somehow disrespectful. But after seeing it, I think that it is more glorifying the body than anything else - though I tend not to agree with the creator's vision of himself as an artist. I think the body itself is beautiful, but arranging a cadaver into the position of a skateboarder or skier does not convince me of its status as art. Allowing the general public to see bodies in a way that only scientists & doctors would get to see otherwise is a great service, I think. But the addition of fake eyes to some of the bodies/cadavers was a little over-the-top haunted-house fare.
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