Complicated Beauty
Arts and Medicine

Complicated Beauty

Linda Alterwitz

Las Vegas, NV, USA

Correspondence to: Linda Alterwitz. Las Vegas, NV, USA. Email: linda@lindaalterwitz.com.

Submitted Feb 08, 2020. Accepted for publication Feb 26, 2020.

doi: 10.21037/cdt-20-250


Linda Alterwitz (www.lindaalterwitz.com) is a visual artist utilizing photography, collage, and interactive strategies. Explorations in the explicit ambiguity of feeling both fear/dread and comfort/refuge continues to be a central theme of inquiry. Her projects focus on the unseen rhythms of the human body and our relationship to the natural world.

A 12-year exploration within the fields of science and technology informed her creative practice and led her toward an in-depth investigation of the nexus between nature, society, and the individual.

Her current work integrates the authenticity of science and the communicative power of art, sparking dialogue on the intended and unintended consequences of humankind when we separate ourselves from our environment.

Final works take the form of large format photographs, constructed images using non-traditional materials and woven tapestries presented in both traditional exhibition and immersive public installation experiences.

Alterwitz received her BFA from CU Boulder and her MFA from Denver University. She currently resides in Las Vegas, NV.

About the series Complicated Beauty (Figures 1-5), see below.

Figure 1 Image size 24'' × 24'' rephotographed mammogram film and the natural environment. ©Linda Alterwitz.
Figure 2 Image size 24'' × 24'' rephotographed mammogram film and the natural environment. ©Linda Alterwitz.
Figure 3 Image size 24'' × 24'' rephotographed mammogram film and the natural environment. ©Linda Alterwitz.
Figure 4 Image size 24'' × 24'' rephotographed mammogram film and the natural environment. ©Linda Alterwitz.
Figure 5 Image size 24'' × 24'' rephotographed mammogram film and the natural environment. ©Linda Alterwitz.

By working with medical imagery and photographs of the natural world, the images in the series Complicated Beauty address the fragility of human life and the emotions that impact our daily existence.

I rephotograph the actual films of mammograms and combine the breast tissue imagery with my images of familiar landscape. This work raises awareness to the myriad of feelings including those of fear and hope when facing challenging times in one’s life.

These images are captured with a digital camera. Each image is printed as an archival pigment print. Each photograph is printed at 24'' × 24'' and signed by the artist en verso.

Limited edition of 5 (+2 artist proofs).


Acknowledgments

Funding: None.


Footnote

Conflicts of Interest: The author has completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/cdt-20-250). LA has a patent copyright issued. The author has no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The author is accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

Cite this article as: Alterwitz L. Complicated Beauty. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther 2020;10(3):642-643. doi: 10.21037/cdt-20-250

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