Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Arts & Culture
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Arts & Culture

SUArt Galleries Presents ‘Hidden Beauty: Exploring the Aesthetics Of Medical Science’

Monday, January 22, 2018, By Syracuse University Art Museum
Share
SUArt Galleries

The Syracuse University Art Galleries is presenting “Hidden Beauty: Exploring the Aesthetics of Medical Science,” on view through March 9. Organized by Norman Barker of John Hopkins University and Dr. Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, this exhibition features 50 photographic images captured at the microscopic level, created by medical professionals. This collaborative project by a scientist and an artist asks the reader to consider the aesthetics of human disease, both within and beyond the context of our preconceived social systems.

Petri dishes in many different colors

Norman Barker, Agar petri dishes, 2008

The exhibition is on view in the Shaffer Art Building. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; and Thursdays 11 a.m.-8 p.m.  The gallery is closed on University holidays.  The SUArt Galleries will host a gallery reception from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1. Patrons are welcome to view the exhibition until the gallery closes at 8 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.  A fully illustrated exhibition catalog will be available for sale in the Gallery Shop.

Exhibition Overview

Many have heard the phrase ”A picture is worth a thousand words.” This is no less true for images in medicine that are routinely used to diagnose disease. Images viewed by a radiologist relay critical information, such as the anatomy of internal organs or the presence of a lesion signifying disease. Those viewed by a pathologist indicate whether a tissue is normal or abnormal at the microscopic level, and if a tumor, whether it is benign or malignant.

Scientific images are equally informative and arguably are the most important component of a research study. These images allow simple visual representations of complex scientific datasets or illustrate how variations of an experimental condition can impact cellular behavior.

What is often not verbalized, or perhaps even realized, is how often medical and scientific images are pleasing to look at for their own inherent qualities. For example, colors are often used to highlight differences between normal and diseased tissues or to direct the reader’s attention to features of an image or experiment that are most important. However, the colors themselves and the patterns and shapes the colors form, can themselves be fascinating, even in the absence of knowledge of the underlying biology or pathology. Normal tissues are organized in extremely specific and reproducible ways, and in diseased tissues this organization is lost, leading to random and unique patterns that can be visually appealing. “Hidden Beauty” has amassed an impressive collection of such images. They can be appreciated by scientists and clinicians for the stories that they tell. But they can be equally appreciated by anyone for the sheer beauty they convey and the wonders of nature that they illustrate.

Related Programs

All programs are free and open to the public. For parking information, please visit parking.syr.edu

Gallery Tour of “Hidden Beauty” with Domenic Iacono, director of the SUArt Galleries
Wednesday, Feb. 14, 12: 15 p.m.

“The Wonder of the Scientific Image”
Guest Lecture by Norman Barker
Thursday, Feb. 22, 5:30 p.m.
106 Life Sciences Complex

“Can Scientific Photographs be Art?”
Guest Lecture by Norman Barker
Friday, Feb. 23, 12:15 p.m.
SUArt Galleries

About Syracuse University

Founded in 1870, Syracuse University is a private international research university dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching excellence, rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11 academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence in the liberal arts, sciences and professional disciplines that prepares students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main campus and extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three continents. Syracuse’s student body is among the most diverse for an institution of its kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Syracuse also has a long legacy of supporting veterans and is home to the nationally recognized Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their families.

  • Author

Syracuse University Art Museum

  • Recent
  • Important Update for Flexible Spending Accounts
    Friday, February 26, 2021, By News Staff
  • Message From Dean of Students Marianne Thomson
    Friday, February 26, 2021, By News Staff
  • CAS in Intercollegiate Athletic Advising and Support Addresses Unique Needs of College Student-Athletes
    Thursday, February 25, 2021, By Jennifer Russo
  • Activities for the Weekend of Feb. 25-28
    Thursday, February 25, 2021, By News Staff
  • Aerospace Engineering Alumni Profile: George Kirby ’92
    Thursday, February 25, 2021, By Chris Barbera

More In Arts & Culture

Community Folk Art Center: A Welcoming Place for All to Discover Art, Culture and Community

The Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) has been a vital part of the University and city for nearly 50 years—a hub of art, cultural understanding and community. “CFAC is a bridge between the Syracuse University community and the local community,…

Community Folk Art Center Launches Black Arts Speak Film Series

The Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) celebrates Black lives and voices in a new short film series, Black Arts Speak (BAS). Each episode of the series will feature a different Black artist and share their work, experiences and perspectives. To mark…

School of Architecture Professor Wins a 2021 Emerging Voices Award

Lori A. Brown, professor in the School of Architecture, is among the eight selected winners to receive a 2021 Emerging Voices award from The Architectural League of New York. Each year, the award spotlights individuals and firms based in the…

Volunteers Needed for SU Libraries’ Virtual Living Library Event

Syracuse University Libraries will host its annual Living Library event during National Library Week on Wednesday, April 7, from noon to 5 p.m. via Zoom. Participants will have the opportunity to talk to “living books”—volunteers from the broader Syracuse University…

School of Architecture Announces Spring 2021 Visiting Critics

Each semester, upper-level architecture students participate in the visiting critic program that brings leading architects and scholars from around the world to the school. Four studios will be held on campus this spring. The School of Architecture is also offering…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.