Topic outline

  • General

    • This course allows you to explore visual art and its relationship to anatomy and medicine through practical artistic engagement. You will be encouraged to explore your artistic influences and experiment in any and all media.

      The course will involve weekly  lecture/seminars on key artists/concepts that might influence your work. You will create an artistic portfolio and reflect on influences and feedback and document progress towards a final exhibition.

      There will also be visits to support the students planning the exhibition and they will make the arrangements for this exhibition. Hopefully there will be future opportunities to have virtual exhibitions and display actual work.

      Course coordinator Dr Leeanne Bodkin leeannebodkin@abdn.ac.uk


  • What skills does this course develop?

      • An alternative perspective upon medicine/health to that normally provided on medical course
      • A capacity for independent, conceptual and creative thinking including
      • idea generation and creative development of these
      • An intellectual curiosity and a willingness to question accepted wisdom and to be open to new ideas exploration of visual outcomes through a range of drawing and mixed media techniques
      • Observation and critical skills
      • A capacity for self reflection, self discovery and personal development including formulating reasoned responses to the critical judgement of others
      • Time management and working with others to complete the collective tasks
      • An appreciation of the approaches of the arts towards medicine/health
      • An ability to participate in the creation of new knowledge and understanding through creation of works of art

  • What will the timetable be like?

    LIVE SESSIONS (Mandatory) on occasions may be online

    • Introductory session on course and portfolio development
    • Exhibition seminar and planning session


    LIVE DRAWING AND TECHNIQUES SESSIONS (Mandatory)

    •  Over the course there are four 2hr sessions some will use Life models (male and female) posing both clothed and unclothed.  Please discuss with course coordinator if you have any concerns about this.


    LIVE 1:1 FORMATIVE FEEDBACK (Mandatory attendance)

    • One to one portfolio discussion sessions with course coordinator twice during course week 23 and 4/5       


    ASYNCHRONOUS TASKS (Optional)

    o   Weekly practical guided art tasks including life drawing, anatomical drawing using mixed media techniques

    o   Weekly supportive videos and recordings on topics in art and anatomy approx. 1.5hrs

    o   Contribution to course discussions sharing images, ideas and reflections

                                                                                                

    SESSIONS (Optional)

    o Weekly interactive seminar on topics in art and anatomy including Artist talks 

    o Weekly reflect and share session 

    o Additional visits to sketch and view local exhibitions and galleries


    The live sessions will take place on Mondays and Fridays usually with optional sessions on weds pm.

    Alongside timetabled sessions you will be required to work independently developing your artistic portfolio and exploring your particular area of interest developing your ideas to create final exhibition


    • How will I be assessed?

      • Formative

        1. Feedback will be provided each week during sessions through tutor and peer critique of work
        2. Submission of portfolio (week 3)
        3. Submission of plan for final piece (week 5)

        Submissions will be given oral 1:1 feedback and written comments from course tutors

        Summative

        1. Artistic reflective portfolio  including 300 word summary (50%)
        2. Final outcome(s), exhibition labels and artist statement (200words) podcast (50%)

        Further information about the assessment criteria will be given out during the course

    • What did previous students think about this course?

      • SMMSN Facebook Post 2020

        Fine art and Medicine by Cameron Thomas

        SMMSN BLOG: November 2019

        How art and medicine have influenced each other by Santiago Trainor Moss

        Student view 22-23

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        Student view 21-22

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        Student comments

        "The course was challenging and took you outside of your comfort zone. It let you be creative in your own way and you could stay true to your style but also challenge yourself which I think is an important aspect we learn throughout medicine so it tied in nicely in that aspect. "

        "The vast range of topics and art explored gave us the opportunity to branch out and experiment with new media and styles. Learning about the links between art and science/anatomy was also incredibly interesting and has been very rewarding to learn about."

        "It was a wonderful opportunity to try something again I hadn't done in years and is probably my favourite block in medical school so far. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the creative side of art and having specific time set aside to be able to do it again was fantastic."

        "This was a very enjoyable and interesting course. Tutor enthusiasm for the subject and approach to the classes meant that there was a fun working environment, where we could seek advice and improve our technical skills also."

    • Anything else I should consider?

      • You need to have a degree of artistic experience and Higher or A Level art is an advantage in terms of how to document your processes but please discuss with course coordinator if you are interested but do not have formal qualifications.

        You will need an A4 Sketchbook as the basis for your artistic portfolio and basic inexpensive materials will suffice.  Purchase of other artistic materials to work with independently and for preparation of final pieces and exhibition is at your own discretion.  Please discuss with course coordinator if you have any concerns regarding this.

    • What kind of artistic work have students done?

      • You can watch a recorded exhibitions of the work produced by students 20-21 and 21-22

        Art and Medicine Exhibition 2022 

        Art and Medicine Exhibition 13 August 2021 at 12:12:35 (panopto.eu)

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        Students work gets noticed in the exhibitions and for some this leads to their work being shared more widely for example at Anatomical Society meetings


            

        Publications:

        Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons
        Sayed Almoosawy and Megan Williams publication; The Power of Art in Cardiothoracic Surgery

        Students work as been used as cover illustrations:

        Scottish Medical humanities Conference

        cover

        Carah Addison-Smyth

        Verbal Remedies: Booster Shot Creative Writing by Medical Students selected and edited by Dr Helen Lynch

        cover image


        Morven Greer,  'Being Human' 

        Another Dose of Verbal Remedies: Creative Writing by Medical Students selected and edited by Helen Lynch and Olive M. Ritch

        cover imageGillian McGeough  'Friends Seeking Solace' 

        More Verbal Remedies: Creative Writing by Medical Students selected and edited by Helen Lynch