ENG586: Writing the Body

An authoritative guide to every aspect of the body. It provides concise and readable accounts of the structure and function of all the major systems of the body and the causes of disorders that affect them. Interwoven with this coverage of the science of the body, are entertaining and informative articles on social and religious attitudes to the body, and its significance for artists, philosophers and writers.

The 1990s saw an explosion of interest in body art, in which the artist's body is integral to the work of art. With the revoking of NEA funding for such artists as Karen Finley, Tim Miller and others, public awareness and media coverage of body-oriented performances have increased. Yet the roots of body art extend to the 1960s and before. In this book, Amelia Jones explores body art projects from the 1960s and 1970s and relates their impact to the work of body artists active today, providing a conceptual framework for defining postmodernism in the visual arts.

This illustrated volume examines the different methods artists and anatomists used to reveal the inner workings of the human body and evoke wonder in its form.

This magnificently illustrated book accompanies the most ambitious exhibition in the Hayward Gallery's program for the year 2000. Spectacular Bodies: The Art and Science of the Human Body from Leonardo da Vinci to Now is a ground-breaking exhibition with the potential to be a visual, cultural, and academic revelation with profound impact. The project encourages a new way of looking at visual objects from the territories that are conventionally labeled "medicine" and "art."

An exquisite treasury of illustrations and objects, 'Ayurvedic Man' presents a visual history of some of the earliest medical systems and healing practices in the world - tracing Ayurveda and Indian medicine as they travelled from East to West, gaining, losing and regaining popularity over the centuries. The book features detailed anatomical drawings overlaid with signs of the zodiac, beautiful illustrations of healing herbs, and manuscripts that describe the stages of reincarnation, all drawn from Wellcome's historical collection.