The trip to the museum of london was certainly fascinating. I've never really come so close face to face bone to bone to real human remains before. It is an eerie feeling, especially walking down the cold chambers where they keep most of their collection. The first part of the visit was her talking through the process of getting the bones out, which areas, relationships with the government, etc. As she showed us bones from the back she talked about how the bone can dramatically change its structure and shape as it experiences some sort of trauma. For example, a bullet went through this old man's bone and we could feel how sharp that point was. The area where they lay out bones that have 'gone wrong' was very strange to see - some bones turned all too smooth, like marble, some changed into a wood texture. It was also interesting to see the differences in male and female skeletons. This trip made me realise more how fragile but strong humans are simultaneously, weak against time but strong in repairing itself for the right needs - it is quite scary actually. Anyway, a very surreal feeling seeing death that passed many many years ago right in front of you. I want to do some studies of these details of the jaw and skull in oil paint perhaps.
rough notes:
public dissection: fear of being cut up, day of resurrection
colouration - geography, disease, acidic, wood, embalmed, other bodies..
wonder what they were like alive
painting of them, usually male and in power
facial reconstruction, DNA hair colour and eye colour
idea of portraits collected from observations/information.