Curation

Bringing anatomical art into the public space

Street Anatomy began as a personal endeavor to shine a light on the niche field of medical illustration in the form of a blog. Driven by the solid audience response to more artistic representations of anatomy, the blog evolved into exploring anatomy’s vibrant role in contemporary art and pop culture.

I envisioned bringing Street Anatomy out of the online world and into a public gallery space at a certain point. I wanted to gauge the public's interest in attending an exhibition featuring anatomical art—something not everyone is comfortable seeing. The incredible response to that show and subsequent shows cemented the undeniable impact of this anatomical art movement in my mind, and a community emerged.

STREET ANATOMY
Curation Vanessa Ruiz Curation Vanessa Ruiz

STREET ANATOMY

Group Gallery Exhibition
A group exhibition focusing on representations of human anatomy in contemporary art and pop culture. Exhibited at the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago from September 3 – November 19, 2010.

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OBJECTIFY THIS
Curation Vanessa Ruiz Curation Vanessa Ruiz

OBJECTIFY THIS

Female Anatomy Dissected and Displayed
OBJECTIFY THIS was a group exhibition of paintings and illustrations spotlighting the anatomy of the female body. The exhibition was influenced by the female anatomical work of famed Spanish illustrator and painter, Fernando Vicente. His paintings, along with 8 other artists, were exhibited at Chicago’s Design Cloud Gallery from September 7 – September 29, 2012.

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DISSECTING ART, INTERSECTING ANATOMY
Curation Vanessa Ruiz Curation Vanessa Ruiz

DISSECTING ART, INTERSECTING ANATOMY

Merging Contemporary Art with the Works of Pauline Lariviere
Dissecting Art, Intersecting Anatomy was an homage to the medical illustration of Pauline Lariviere (1906-1988) featuring 10 of Lariviere’s original oil paintings plus 50 works by 20 artists working in diverse media. Exhibited at S3 Gallery, Chicago from March 9 - 16, 2013.

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FACE OFF
Curation Vanessa Ruiz Curation Vanessa Ruiz

FACE OFF

Skull-a-Day vs Street Anatomy
Skull-A-Day and Street Anatomy went head-to-head to curate the greatest collection of skull art for the 3rd Annual Skull Appreciation Day. Exhibited at the International Museum of Surgical Science in Chicago from May 31 – August 25, 2014.

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