Day Trip - Birmingham Bodies Exhibition + Pre-Raphaelites

 Day Trip to Birmingham

Went to Birmingham on Friday...ace day, train, drink and company!

Started with a can of Stella on the train...this is the law on a day trip!

Train took approximately 1hr 15mins- on time,all good.

Went to see the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition which is permanently dispalyed at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

 

The painting above was my fave in the exhibition - ‘The death of Chatterton’ by Henry Wallis (1856). The painting shows the dead body of Thomas Chatterton, an 18th century poet who killed himself by taking arsenic rather than live in poverty. The painting shows an impoverished young man who has died of self administered arsenic poisoning. Although relatively unknown during his life, Chatterton’s death became a well known event because of the romanticised reaction it provoked. As well as this painting, there were poetic responses from the likes of Shelley, Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats. Like always, unless you see the picture in the flesh you cannot absorb the striking vivid colours used in the painting..truely beautiful and haunting! Also, discovered this artist!!!Patrick Hughes

Superduperspective by Patrick Hughes(from the front!)

This was fascinating..I will download the video I took of this painting!! you will be amazed..well I was!!

This is how the picture looks from the side!!!

Patrick Hughes is a Birmingham born artist. I had never heard of him before I went so it was a real bonus!

His work is described as -

Hughes’ paintings have been described as visual one liners designed to raise a smile and to question how we form our visual perceptions of the world.In Hughes’ exhibitions doors magically open and close and walls move as viewers walk past them.The exhibition is designed to amuse and captivate with eye-deceiving three-dimensional paintings appearing to really move – the exhibition challenges your eyes, brain and balance all at the same time.

After a few more beers it was time to go to the 'Bodies Exhibition' @ the Custard Factory -


The Exhibition--which features actual human specimens--allows people of all ages access to sights and knowledge normally reserved only for medical professionals. Take the opportunity to peer inside yourself, to better understand how your elaborate and fascinating body works, and how you can become a more informed participant in your own health care. 

The Process -
A human specimen is first preserved according to standard mortuary science. The specimen is then dissected to show whatever it is that someone wants to display. Once dissected, the specimen
is immersed in acetone, which eliminates all body water. The specimen is then placed in a large bath of silicone, or polymer, and sealed in a vacuum chamber. Under vacuum, acetone leaves the body in the form of gas and the polymer replaces it, entering each cell and body tissue. and sealed in a vacuum chamber. Under vacuum, acetone leaves the body in the form of gas and the polymer replaces
it, entering each cell and body tissue. A catalyst is then applied to the specimen, hardening it and completing the process.This method of preservation creates a specimen that will not decay.

I had wanted to go to the Bodies exhibition for ages..by chance found out that it was on in Birmingham! C had wanted to go for ages as well! result! What can I say...It totally freaked me out at first! C said that the colour drained from my face..why? Because when I first went in the thought that underneath my skin was all this stuff!! freaky as fook! It is unbelievable..these are real people..whole bodies, sectons of brains, eyeballs, ears, brain tumours, diseased livers, reproductive systems, vein systems...to name a few! The Human Body is an amazing piece of work. The bit of the exhibition that affected me the most was the preserved foetuses! I know some people would find these upsetting and disturbing but they fascinated me! I thought they looked out of this world. I am lost for the right words to describe them..amazing wouldn't do them justice..there are 5 in total - 14,18,19,24 and 28 weeks.There is a picture of one below..trust me when I say that you need to see these in the flesh to understand how they look and how they make you feel! I will never forget seeing this exhibition!!

We then went for a shop around the Custard Factory Area which is full of coolio shops and bars!! Bought a nice vintage jacket which the lads took the piss out of last night at the Maps gig!! This makes me like it even more!!! After the Custard Factory we meandered back to town, had a few more beers and got the train back to Nottingham. A fantastic day trip! I would thoroughly recommend Birmingham for a visit!!

Me and the crazy statue in the Custard Factory Area in Birmingham! :-Dx