Category Archives: Anatomy

The first episode of Season 2 of The Midnight Archive--that wonderful web-based documentary series centered around Brooklyn's Observatory--has just gone live! It features friend of Morbid Anatomy Tim Muller--whose collection you might remember from my recent exhibition Private Cabinets--and his amazing collection of quirky, arcane, and often terrifying machines.

To watch the episode, simply press play in the viewer above. More on Tim and his collection, in the words of director/creator Ronni Thomas:

Old Machines: The Tim Mullen Collection - This episode takes a look at the collection of NYC's Tim Mullen, an engineer with a soft spot for Antique Machinery... His amazing apartment is LITTERED with Machines from before the turn of the century and onwards. The scope of it was pretty hard to capture on film but i hope we did a good job of it. X-Ray Machines, Victorian hospital devices, Old TVs and Radios, and my favorite - a funeral fan (complete with burning Jesus lighting) are just a few of the many amazing items in this electrifying collection. Tim is always on the lookout for 'new' old stuff so if you have anything in your basement - drop him a line!

For more on the series, to see any of the episodes, or to sign up for the mailing list and thus be alerted to future uploads, visit The Midnight Archive website by clicking here. You can also "like" it on Facebook--and be alerted in this way--by clicking here.

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As most of you have no doubt already heard, on Good Friday of this year, The Morbid Anatomy Library suffered a mighty and devastating deluge. This Saturday, June 30th, Morbid Anatomy and Observatory will host an epic and underground-star-studded rebuilding gala, and we would love to see you there.

Following is a somewhat finalized schedule. The party begins at 8, and the performance begins at 9; tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Hope to see you there!

RESURRECTION! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild The Morbid Anatomy Library
Date: Saturday, June 30
Time: 8:00
Admission: $25
Location: Observatory (543 Union Street at Nevins, Brooklyn; Enter via Proteus Gowanus) (DIRECTIONS)

8:00: Doors, drinks, and music
9:00: Introductory remarks by our MCs Evan Michelson of The Science Channel's "Oddities" and cult writer and luminary Mark Dery
9:10: World Premiere of Morbid Anatomy episode of The Midnight Archive, directed by Ronni Thomas
9:20: A Series of 5-minute "Odes to Material Culture:"

• Ryan Mathews of "Oddities" on exploded, or "Beauchene" Skulls
• Melissa Milgrom, author of Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy, on a Glass Udder
• Mark Jacobson of New York Magazine on a Human Skin Lampshade
• Carl Schoonover author of Portraits of the Mind, on Ramón y Cajal, Art and Science
• Lord Whimsy of The Affected Provincial's Almanac Volume 1, with "A Report from Carpet Island"
• Amy Herzog of Queens College, with "A Bunny Is Being Beaten: A Tale of Political Violence, Oedipal Angst, and a Lost Televisual Object (in which the author reveals far more about her psychosexual development than anyone ever wanted to know....)”
• Evan Michelson on a Whale Bulla, and How it is Possible to Love, Desire and Hate an Object at the Same Time
• Lisa O’Sullivan, director of the Center for the History of Medicine and Public Health at the New York Academy of Medicine on her Pocket Anatomy Figure
• Barbara Mathé of AMNH on an Archetypal Piece of Sliced Bread
• Daniel Margocsy of CUNY on A Tableau Made of Human Body Parts by Dutch Anatomist Frederik Ruysch
• Salvador Olguín of Borderline Projects on a Santa Muerta Figurine

Following will be complimentary cocktails, music by Friese Undine, screenings of The Midnight Archive, performances by Jonny Clockworks, and droll giveaways from the design firm Kikkerland. Attendees are encouraged to dress "Obscurely."

Throughout the night, you will also be invited to bid on objects in our silent auction which included works by such amazing artists and makers as:

• Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood 
• Rosamond Purcell
• Minnesota Rogue Taxidermist Robert Marbury
• MTA Artist-in-Residence Sophie Blackall
• Creative taxidermist Jessica Joslin
• Ryan Mathews of "Oddities"  
• Empire of Death author/photographer Paul Koudounaris
• Anthropomorphic taxidermist Sue Jeiven 
• Anthropomorphic insect shadowbox maker Daisy Tainton
• Waxworker Sigrid Sarda
• Museum-exhibit designer Christopher Muller
• Erika Larsen
• Shannon Taggart
• Julia Solis
• Justine Cooper
• Saul Chernick
• Nicholas Kahn
• Laura Splan
• Alex Kanevsky
• Suzanne Anker
• Friese Undine
• Demetrios Vital
• Cindy Stelmackowich
• GF Newland 
• Andrea Meadows
• Eric Lindvelt
• And, as they say, much, much more.

You can find out more here. Hope very, very much to see you there!

And, if you can not join us at the benefit and are interested in aiding in rebuilding efforts, here are a few things you can do:

• Make a monetary donation; to do so, simply click on the black "Donate Here" button on the top right hand side of this blog
• Sponsor a book; Click hereto see a list of damaged books; books purchased here will automatically ship directly to The Library and populate our sadly empty shelves.
• Help spread the word!
• Donate new books or artifacts for the collection: Mailing Address: Joanna Ebenstein, c/o The Morbid Anatomy Library, 543 Union Street #1E, Brooklyn, NY 1121

Thanks so much! And hope to see you soon at a bigger, better Morbid Anatomy Library very very soon!

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A few of the most wonderful things I saw on my recent trip to Italy with Evan Michelson were the two saints seen above, both to be found in Rome, the last stop on our tour. The first is Saint Vittoria, or Victoria, on view in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, directly across from that Bernini's masterwork The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa (top 3); The second is a wonderful reliquary preparation of "S. Wittoria, Martire" fantastically posed and costumed, and showcased in a gold and glass coffin in the Basilica of Saint Mary Sopra Minerva (bottom 2 images).

I am not sure if these two representations might possibly depict the same saint (Wittoria being an alternate/old fashioned spelling for Vittoria?), or two separate ones. I have been able to find nothing official on the Internet about a Saint Wittoria, though Vittoria seems to be a depiction of the Roman Saint Victoria, "virgin and martyr of the catacombs." I also am not sure if there are human bones embedded in the wax of St. Victoria, though Marina Warner asserts this is the case in her wonderful book Phantasmagoria, and the close-up photo above of her hand seems to support this assertion.

Regardless of the problems with research, I hope you agree with me that these are astoundingly amazing and fascinating artifacts. These Saints--and many more, both sacred and profane--will be featured in my upcoming exhibition at Viktor Wynde's Fine Arts in London this September. They will also feature in a book I am working on with friend, Morbid Anatomy Library Scholar in Residence and co-star of The Science Channel's "Oddities" Evan Michelson. Stay tuned for more on that!

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We still have a few more slots available for the class "Drawing from the Bestiary: Animal Anatomy of Real and Imagined Creatures" with one of our favorite artists, Saul Chernick. This class will teach students--via illustrated lectures and in-class projects including paper puppets and the creation of bestiary pages--"to use observational and imaginative drawing skills in tandem to capture the essential qualities of their subject" and "learn to draw animals (real, mythic, and otherwise) with greater skill and sensitivity."

You can see some of Chernick's wonderful artworks above; you can see more of them by clicking here. The class will take place on 4 consecutive Mondays, starting tomorrow night June 25 and running until July 16th. The full class description follows. Also, please note that the class size is limited to 15, so if you are interested, please RSVP as soon as possible to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com.

Drawing from the Bestiary: Animal Anatomy of Real and Imagined Creatures with Saul Chernick
A 4-part class with Artist Saul Chernick, M.F.A., Rutgers University
Dates: Mondays June 25, July 2, July 9 and July 16th (4 consecutive Mondays)
Time: 6:30-9:00 PM
Class Fee: $120
***Class size limited to 15; Must RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com
This class is part of The Morbid Anatomy Art Academy

Contemporary artist and arts educator Saul Chernickis renowned for gorgeous artworks featuring convincingly corporeal depictions of imaginary or mythical creatures rendered in the style of Medieval and early Renaissance woodcuts from Northern Europe. Observatory is very pleased to announce a new workshop developed by Saul Chernick specially for the Morbid Anatomy Art Academy. In this class, Chernick will teach students--via illustrated lectures and in-class projects including paper puppets and bestiary pages--"to use observational and imaginative drawing skills in tandem to capture the essential qualities of their subject" and "learn to draw animals (real, mythic, and otherwise) with greater skill and sensitivity."

Full class description follows; you can see more of Chernick's fantastic work by clicking here. Class size limited to 15; Please RSVP to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com.

Course Description
Open to artists of all levels, the goal of this workshop is help participants learn to draw animals (real, mythic, and otherwise) with greater skill and sensitivity. Through exercises in drawing and paper puppetry, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the skeletal/muscular structures of most mammals, reptiles, and birds. Participants will also learn to use observational and imaginative drawing skills in tandem to capture the essential qualities of their subject and create works of convincing visual fiction!
What to expect

• Participants will cull images from the web to create a dossier on the animal(s) that interest them
• Participants will fashion movable paper puppets to understand how their chosen animal moves
• Participants will draw studies of the skeletal and muscular structures of animals
• Participants will use the medium of their choice to create a Bestiary page entry that depicts an animal situated in an environment

Materials
What to bring to the first class:

• Choose 1-3 animals and gather pictures on the web. Be sure to get images of their skeletons in profile. Please print these as they may be hard to use on a phone screen.
• 3-5 sheets of Bristol Board Paper 9" x 12" or larger
• Pencils & erasers
• Scissors
• Xacto or utility knife
• Glue

What to bring for subsequent classes:

• White or tinted drawing paper 16" x 20" or 18" x 24"
• Tracing paper (same size as drawing paper)
• Mechanical and/or regular pencils (2h, hb, 2b, 4b)

Optional:

• Markers, watercolors, gouache, ink, brushes, chalk/oil pastels, colored pencils, Caran D’Ache, collage papers, etc (we’ll discuss further in detail!)

Saul Chernick, M.F.A., Rutgers University, is a visual artist and educator. Chernick has exhibited internationally in galleries and museums including the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, the Bronx Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum of Art, as well as Max Protetch and Meulensteen Galleries in New York City. He has taught art for the public school system, the 92nd Street Y, Cooper Union, Parson's School of Design, and the Museum of Modern Art. He is currently the Professional Development Coordinator for the Joan Mitchell Foundation where he coaches New York artists in teaching art to young people throughout city. His work can be seen at http://www.saulchernick.com.

All images are by Saul Chernick and include, top to bottom:

1. Field Urchin, 2011, from a series of studies in which he attempted to impose the proportions of cherubs onto horses.
2. Desktop 2013, 2010, Ink, Watercolor, & Opaque White on Paper
3. Heavenly Touch , 2009, Ink, Watercolor, & Opaque White on Paper
4. Guilty Pleasures, 2010, Ink, Watercolor, & Opaque White on Paper
5. Ars Gratia Artis, 2010, Ink on Paper

You can found out more here. As mentioned above, class size is limited to 15, so if you are interested, please RSVP as soon as you are able to morbidanatomy [at] gmail.com.

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April 2005: Cruise and Holmes begin dating and make their first public appearance as a couple in Rome.

May 2005: Cruise enthusiastically declares his love for Holmes by famously jumping on a couch on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

October 2005: Cruise and Holmes happily announce they are expecting their first child together.

April 2006: The couple welcomes a daughter. They name her Suri.

October 2006: Cruise and Holmes give the world its first glimpse of Suri by proudly posing with her on the cover of Vanity Fair.

Nov. 18, 2006: Cruise and Holmes tie the knot in a lavish ceremony at the 15th-century Odescalchi Castle in Italy. Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and 7-month-old Suri are among those in attendance.

November 2007: Cruise cheers on Holmes as she runs in the New York City marathon.

January 2009: Holmes accompanies Cruise to the London premiere of Valkyrie.

February 2009: Cruise and Holmes enjoy a family vacation to Disney World.

June 2011: Cruise, Holmes and Suri celebrate Father's Day on a yacht in Miami.

View original post here:
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Anatomy of a Split

Grey's Anatomy star Sarah Drew has admitted that she will miss her co-stars Chyler Leigh and Kim Raver.

Leigh's character Lexie Grey was killed off in the show's eighth-season finale, while Raver's Teddy Altman also departed the series.

PA Images / Tony DiMaio

"Chyler is a very dear friend - she and I have always been such good buddies," Drew told TVLine.

"And Kim has been an unbelievable support as I went through pregnancy and early parenthood. She went out of her way to care for me and give advice, so I was tragically sad to see her go."

Drew admitted that the loss of Leigh and Raver makes her feel "trepidation" that her own character April Kepner could also be written out.

"Anybody can go at any time, especially on Grey's," she said. "But I'm really glad I didn't get killed off."

Grey's Anatomy will return to CBS with new episodes in late 2012. The series airs on Sky Living in the UK.

More here:
'Grey's Anatomy' star Sarah Drew: 'I'll miss Chyler Leigh, Kim Raver'