the 
art of surgery

 

   

Featured in this issue are 5 startling images from the Art and Surgery collection of Los Angeles artist, Gillis.  The first 3 photographs are taken from Gillis'  "Anterior Suicide" series.   Here the artist , using a projector,  merely projects surgery images on the subjects body, 
thus creating areas of distortion.  Some  images are distorted to the point where you can no longer trace the subject.     
The 2 remaining photographs are taken from the "lab/practical" series. They  mark  a departure from the first 3 photographs in both content and subject, yet they share the same concept of distortion.  

In 1988 Gillis enterered Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design and pursued studies in Enviromental Design and Architecture.  After 3 years of 
studies Gillis dropped out to do some lighting design  on a film, but lost interest in design altogether. With all intentions of returning  to school to finish a degree, Gillis applied to UCLA School of the  Arts and returned as a fine arts major, graduating in 1992.  In conjunction with studies at UCLA, Gillis
landed a job at a county hospital as a  medical   photographer and found the images a provacative resource.

 Can you guess the subject ?

 

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All Photographs Copyright 1997 Gillis.