Anatomy for Artists ANAT6002
Professor Chris Dean
(chris.dean@ucl.ac.uk)
Ground Floor Anatomy Building
External tel: 020 7679 3345
Int. Tel Extension: 33345
No prerequisites
Background
The course is designed for any students who are interested in learning anatomy, anthropology, comparative anatomy and evolutionary anatomy in the context of the visual arts and art appreciation. No background in biology or morphology is required.
A course booklet on the essentials of human anatomy appropriate for the exam can be purchased in the Dissecting Room. There are several other books that deal in more detail with aspects of lecture topics for students who want to read more for their projects.
Aims
Anatomy and The Slade have always had strong links within UCL. When Frederick Brown was appointed Slade Professor in 1893 he asked Henry Tonks, a talented artist and former surgeon, to join him as an assistant. At that time, George Dancer Thane, was Professor of Anatomy and both he and his successor, Grafton Elliot Smith were involved with Henry Tonks in teaching anatomy for artists at UCL. Today we welcome students from many colleges of art in London to this course as well as UCL medical students studying for a special study module in anatomy, art and anthropology.
The course is currently designed to expose students to a breadth of topics in topographical anatomy, functional anatomy, human variation, and some evolutionary anatomy. It is developed around three central themes:
1 Transformation and variation of morphology through time, between peoples and between primate species
2 Visualisation of morphology through, surface anatomy, study of anatomical material, multimedia and modern imaging methods
3 The anatomical basis of movement
It is fundamental to this course that we make use of human anatomical material and work in the dissecting room at UCL. This is a privilege ongoing now for over 100 years. Students should be aware of this and note that we request them to sign a declaration form that details what they may and may not study in accordance with the Human Anatomy Act and defines how they are expected to behave in the dissecting room.
Objectives
At the completion of this course students will be able to:
a) Give an account of the anatomical variations in morphology and bodily proportions that occur throughout life, between peoples and between humans and other primate species
b) Give an account of techniques for investigating, visualising and representing anatomical structure
c) Relate external morphology to underlying structures
d) Describe the basic musculoskeletal anatomy of the limbs
e) Describe the normal range of movements occurring in the trunk, limbs and in particular the hand.
The course will address these objectives and encourage students to explore one chosen topic in more detail through a series of practical laboratory sessions during which a portfolio and/or creative piece of work will be prepared.
Projects and Portfolios
Students are required to take an aspect of the course, in particular one that relates to their own personal interests, and develop this as a theme for a portfolio or piece of creative work. Most students choose to draw or paint or work on small pieces of sculpture in the dissection room during the 10 weeks the course runs. The theme must develop a topic to a greater depth than has been covered in the course and is examined on the last day of the course. All students are required to write a 300 word abstract that summarises their theme and explains how they have developed it in advance of that day. The project / portfolio is marked on the basis of (i) originality, (ii) effort – in the sense of time devoted to the project and (iii) the clarity and quality of the abstract. Examples of work taken from past students projects can be seen here (Presentation).
Assessment
Attendance at lectures and dissecting room sessions counts towards the final assessment. A written paper is worth 50% of the marks and a portfilio of creative work counts towards the other 50% of the marks. Example Paper
Further Reading
Dean, C and Pegington, J (1996) Core Anatomy for Students. Volume 1 The Limbs and Vertebral Column. Saunders. ISBN 0-7020-2040-0
Aiello, L and Dean, C (1990) An Introduction to Human Evolutionary Anatomy. Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-045591-9
Napier, J (1993) Hands – revised by Russell Tuttle ISBN 0-691-02547-9
Wilson, F R (1999) The Hand; How its use shapes, the brain, language and human culture Vintage Books, NY. ISBN 0-679-74047-3
Zeki, S (1999) Inner vision; an exploration of art and the brain. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-850519-1
Ramachandran, V S and Blakeslee, S (1999) Phantoms in the brain; human nature and the architecture of the mind. Fourth Estate, London ISBN 1-85702-895-3
Carter, R (2002) Mapping the mind. Phoenix ISBN 0-75381-019-0
Hale, R B and Coyle, T (2000) Anatomy lessons from the great masters; 100 great figure drawings analysed. ISBN 0-8232-0281-0
Simblet, S (2001) Anatomy for the artist. Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 0751334413
Abrahams, P H, Marks, S C and Hutchins, R T (2003) McMinn’s colour atlas of human anatomy. Fifth edition or later – Elsevier, ISBN 0723432120
Kapit, W and Elson L (1993) – or subsequent editions – The human anatomy coloring book. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-06-455016-8
Zihlman, A (2000) The human evolution coloring book. Harper Resource. ISBN 0-06-273717-1.
Diamond M C, Scheibel, A B and Elson, L M (1985) – or subsequent editions – The human brain coloring book. Barnes and Noble Book (Harper Row) ISBN 0-06-460306-7
Page last modified on 10 aug 10 09:47 by Loretta M Coletti-Campbell
