ARTIST LEADS LIFE DRAWING SESSIONS WITH A DIFFERENCE

A BODY WORLDS Vital special event.

Art gets under the skin with drawing sessions in BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition.  (Image attached: Artist Rachael Allen draws one of the plastinates, ‘the tightrope walker’ in the BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition). Artist and anatomy researcher Rachael Allen is set to teach a unique series of monthly figure drawing classes at Newcastle’s Life Science Centre within Gunther von Hagens’ world-famous BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition. Currently making its UK début at Life, BODY WORLDS Vital celebrates the living human body in its optimal state - healthy, vibrant, vigorous, and in motion.  It features real human bodies willed by donors and preserved through plastination.  Organs, sectional slices and full bodies give visitors a detailed look at the body’s keenly intelligent design, exploring how it functions and what happens when disease strikes. The plastination method removes fats and fluids from human tissue, replacing them with polymers. Dissected bodies can then be set permanently in familiar poses which show every sinew, nerve and artery of the human body in action. The resulting fusion of art and anatomy has turned heads around the globe, with BODY WORLDS exhibitions drawing over 90 million visitors worldwide to date. Rachael Allen’s “life” drawing sessions, which run from 6-8pm on the last Thursday of each month until 30 October, offer the opportunity for members of the public to sketch the fascinating subjects of BODY WORLDS whilst learning about anatomical drawing from an expert. BODY WORLDS Vital at Life is the perfect venue for artist Allen who has pursued empirical research into the human body since taking up residence in anatomy labs and medical schools in the North East. Her work aims to integrate visual arts into anatomy education and the use of creative tools to enrich public awareness and understanding of the human body, which these sessions will go a long way to help achieve. Rachael said: “There is more to this kind of life drawing than meets the ‘eye’. In these sessions we’ll use drawing to develop authentic curiosity for the imagined body that sits beneath our own skin.    Exploring lines, marks and tone, participants will learn about structural and functional anatomy as form and material, as opposed to complex, bamboozling medical terminologies and principles!  Achieving high quality, accurate drawings is not what we’ll be striving for so, no previous experience of life drawing is necessary. Joining the session with inquisitive eyes, an open mind and a willingness to use drawing as a way to capture what you see in BODY WORLDS Vital will enable you to produce artistic work that embodies your own unique style and reflects your visions of the human body.” Admission, which is £25 per person includes materials, artistic guidance and the chance to view the exhibition in its entirety. The drawing sessions are part of the BODY WORLDS Vital programme of special events which is being delivered in partnership with Northumbria and Newcastle Universities (and others). Event Information Price: £25. Suitable for ages 14+. Includes access to BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition. Pre-booking essential. See life.org.uk for further details. Dates: Thursday 31 July, Thursday 28 August, Thursday 25 September & Thursday 30 October. Time: 6-8pm.