Humanaissance

George Sherwood (born 1954, Bridgeport, CT)

Humanaissance, 2013

Stainless steel

9 ft. h X 6 ft. w X 9 in. d

Location: Inside the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, east bank campus

The work embodies the ideals and practices of state of the art research being conducted at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR). These pertain to the study and knowledge of new MRI techniques used for further understanding of the inner workings of the human body.

The CMRR lobby sculpture is suggestive of the art, science, technology and humanity being studied and developed for the next stages in modern medicine. The Center employs very large magnets to manipulate human tissue to probe deep inside the smallest particles of the human body. This information is then processed, analyzed and conveyed through advanced 2D, 3D and 4D imaging.

Much of the MRI process is conducted through the invisible world of magnetism and electric field theory. The sculpture manifests and magnifies these processes into a visible interpretation, a spectrum of elements that we can see and be inspired by.

The dynamic interaction of the individual elements convey in one space, the gathering of 2D information to form a 3D representation of the human head. Is it a 2D slice of MRI data or a composite 3D image? The areas in between the elements allow the viewer to see through and beyond the sculpture adding another layer of ephemeral narrative.