The richness and complexity of medical imagery is capable of depicting the minute details of cellular function or revealing the wonders of human metabolism. However, medical imagery often is alienating to those who are being treated for a serious illness. Artists Ann Chamberlain, Ali Sant, and Klover Kim, worked with patients, researchers, medical professionals, and art students to encourage a dialogue between medical research and the practice of medicine–exploring the metaphors within medical language.
“Architecture of Healing,” was to culminate with temporary installations at the Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center and the University of California, San Francisco. It featured symposia, at the San Francisco Art Institute, the Osher Center for Lifelong Learning, and UCSF/Mt. Zion Cancer Center. During the course of the project, Ann Chamberlain’s cancer recurred, and not all of the original plans could be completed.
Ann Chamberlain, Ali Sant, and Klover Kim brought to this project a range of skills and accomplishments. Ann Chamberlain’s public art projects included the U.C.S.F./Mt. Zion Healing Garden, the Archive Room of the California Supreme Court, Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose (with Victor Zaballa), and the San Francisco Public Library (with Ann Hamilton). Alison Sant is a media artist whose work focuses on the urban environment, using projection and transparency to reveal hidden narratives. Media artist Klover Kim’s work incorporates graphic design and digital imaging. While working at the Tyrone Art Center, she developed an “Arts and Healing Web Site.”
The Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center at the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center is committed to offering patients medicine based on the best science, as well as providing support for families and patients.