andrew carnie

see devloping new work 'a change of heart' here.

see recent 'hybrid bodies exhibition' here

see 'hybrid bodies web site' here

an open heart, is an ongoing project based on work of the toronto general heart transplant team, with heather ross, in charge and the pith, process of incorporating the heart team jennifer poole, susan abbey, oliver mauthner, enza de luca, patricia mckeever, margrit shildrick , and sarah greenwood the first stage for me is completed, now awaiting the result of a further application. working with the artists alexa wright, ingid bachman, and catherine richards.

the work bellow is the first iteration of a peice for the project. it is a a large letter-box format projection work, dispalayed using two HD projectors synchronised using two HDBlade players. The work photographed here was teasted and shown to an audience at the YYZ gallery toronto canada. the transpalant team research team transplant patients and curators that saw the work responded well to the peice.

so far I have three areas of interest for this work. this peice is a reponse to the s area of interest

process of stitching fascination with the drawings produced by medical illustrators for surgeons, the line drawings show the complex stitching that is required in these difficult procedures to join the heart into the body weaving together of the bodies, the intimacy in knitting together

borders the sense that the recipient is a unique and separate, like to explore the idea of change and un-controlled boundaries, moving from one state to another

character transition every organ is original formed in a complex relation with the owner, this is an intimate and subtle ownership, not only this but it also contains the donors DNA what happens when this organ is moved to a new body. are there changes to the new recipient, does it create cravings for particular proteins

Hybrid Bodies: An Artistic Investigation into the Experience of Heart Transplantation It is commonly accepted that new developments in science and technology impact on almost every register of human experience and interaction. The research project, Hybrid Bodies: An Artistic Investigation into the Experience of Heart Transplantation recognizes the significant role that artists can play in this process. Four internationally exhibiting artists, Alexa Wright (UK), Catherine Richards (Canada), Andrew Carnie (UK), and Ingrid Bachmann (Canada), have access to an interdisciplinary research study into the emotional and psychological effects of heart transplantation. This interdisciplinary study was produced by a research team based at Toronto General Hospital and the University of Toronto Health Network, The team includes a cardiologist, philosopher, nurse, psychiatrist, and sociologist. Organ transplantation signifies a shift in the way the body is viewed, raising questions around bodily boundaries, identity, and even the legal definitions of life and death. It is important that the social and ethical questions that accompany these medical and technological advances are addressed. Involving artists as active researchers rather than simply interpreters of scientific data, this project represents a new strategic approach to research creation and knowledge transfer strategies across the arts and sciences. All the artist co-applicants have many years of experience working collaboratively with scientists and of working across the disciplines of art and science. Over a three-year period the artists will conduct their own research into the ethical, social, and cultural issues that arise around heart transplantation. We will create artworks that introduce these issues into the public domain and open them up for debate and discussion through exhibitions, conference papers, seminars and a publication. The heart is both a vital organ and a potent symbol. As well as contributing to the broader scientific project of understanding the social and psychological effects of heart transplantation, we will explore the mythologies surrounding the human heart. The artworks resulting from this research will bring the scientific and philosophical issues into the public domain for discussion and to enhance understanding. Potential audiences for the outcomes of our research include health care professionals, patients and families as well as the arts community and the general public.

see recent 'hybrid bodies exhibition' here

see 'hybrid bodies web site' here

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