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Reassembling the Self 2

Print
2012 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

‘Reassembling the Self’ is a series of prints inspired by Susan Aldworth’s study of schizophrenia; the work weaves together art, science, psychiatry and individual histories in an exploration of self, perception and the fragility of human identity. The prints are lithographs made with the renowned master printer Stanley Jones at the Curwen Studio. They are some of the last prints he worked on before retiring.

Aldworth studied philosophy at university before studying fine art, and always had an interest in the relationship between the mind and the body. Since then she has worked with scientists, doctors and people with Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, epilepsy (we have an etching by her, ‘Birth of a Thought 1, 2009’ which came out of the epilepsy project), and Downs Syndrome, to understand how mind influences body, and what happens to those who lose their sense of self as a consequence of mental disturbance. She has used scanning technologies and digital imaging as employed in neuroscience. ‘Reassembling the Self’ was a portraiture and self-portraiture project exploring schizophrenia which she developed during her time as Artist in Residence at the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University from 2010-2013. She worked with scientists, clinicians, and two artists with a schizophrenia diagnosis, exploring some of the complex narratives of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is poorly understood and the main purpose of the project was to address some of the misconceptions and stigma around the condition.

Lithography is a very technical and challenging process and Aldworth worked closely with Jones, drawing on his lifetime of skill and expertise to realise the kinds of imagery she wanted to reflect the mental disturbance experienced by those with schizophrenia. In a sense, as the artist describes them, “the Reassembling the Self lithographs are formal portraits of schizophrenia itself. The idea is simple. A body attacks itself – and this is represented by a reassembled anatomy where huge ear bones and a hip bone become the shoulder bones, where a large pair of ears form an arse. A distorted anatomy as a visual equivalent of distortions to one’s sense of self which can happen in schizophrenia.” These prints also show the extraordinary technical versatility of lithography as a medium. These are plate lithographs in which she was able to mix digital photography with elements lifted from historical anatomical illustrations, and then add drawn marks – giving the whole a painterly quality, with rich subtle colour. Here Aldworth has exploited the particular qualities of lithography, and experimented to create new effects.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleReassembling the Self 2 (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Lithograph
Brief description
Susan Aldworth: Reassembling the Self 2, 2012. Lithograph.
Physical description
Print on paper; portrait format with human skull at the centre, with ribs, and internal organs below.
Dimensions
  • Height: 99.5cm
Content description
Human skull with ribs and variosu internal organs depicted around and below.
Copy number
A/P ii/xx
Credit line
Given by Susan Aldworth
Subject depicted
Summary
‘Reassembling the Self’ is a series of prints inspired by Susan Aldworth’s study of schizophrenia; the work weaves together art, science, psychiatry and individual histories in an exploration of self, perception and the fragility of human identity. The prints are lithographs made with the renowned master printer Stanley Jones at the Curwen Studio. They are some of the last prints he worked on before retiring.

Aldworth studied philosophy at university before studying fine art, and always had an interest in the relationship between the mind and the body. Since then she has worked with scientists, doctors and people with Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, epilepsy (we have an etching by her, ‘Birth of a Thought 1, 2009’ which came out of the epilepsy project), and Downs Syndrome, to understand how mind influences body, and what happens to those who lose their sense of self as a consequence of mental disturbance. She has used scanning technologies and digital imaging as employed in neuroscience. ‘Reassembling the Self’ was a portraiture and self-portraiture project exploring schizophrenia which she developed during her time as Artist in Residence at the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University from 2010-2013. She worked with scientists, clinicians, and two artists with a schizophrenia diagnosis, exploring some of the complex narratives of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is poorly understood and the main purpose of the project was to address some of the misconceptions and stigma around the condition.

Lithography is a very technical and challenging process and Aldworth worked closely with Jones, drawing on his lifetime of skill and expertise to realise the kinds of imagery she wanted to reflect the mental disturbance experienced by those with schizophrenia. In a sense, as the artist describes them, “the Reassembling the Self lithographs are formal portraits of schizophrenia itself. The idea is simple. A body attacks itself – and this is represented by a reassembled anatomy where huge ear bones and a hip bone become the shoulder bones, where a large pair of ears form an arse. A distorted anatomy as a visual equivalent of distortions to one’s sense of self which can happen in schizophrenia.” These prints also show the extraordinary technical versatility of lithography as a medium. These are plate lithographs in which she was able to mix digital photography with elements lifted from historical anatomical illustrations, and then add drawn marks – giving the whole a painterly quality, with rich subtle colour. Here Aldworth has exploited the particular qualities of lithography, and experimented to create new effects.
Collection
Accession number
E.643-2015

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Record createdSeptember 28, 2015
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