Gallery: Eerie exhibition of anatomical paintings at Barts Pathology Museum

The show features around 25 paintings by the museum's artist-in-residence, Geoffrey Harrison

Thursday 15 August 2013 06:01 EDT

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A London exhibition opening this week will display paintings inspired by the eerie and weird specimens of Barts Pathology Museum.

Opening on Thursday, the exhibition - called me. complete. you. will run until 29 August.

The show features around 25 paintings by the museum's artist-in-residence, Geoffrey Harrison. The works take their lead from the museum’s collection of more than 5,000 18th-to-20th century anatomical specimens.

Born in Manchester, the son of medical illustrators, Harrison has been in residence since last year.

Click here to launch a gallery of some of the works on display

He said: “My childhood was spent surrounded by medical imagery. The subjects of death, life, flesh and mortality have always provided a strong current in my work. My representation of anatomical matter, the human body and its parts often references medical illustrative technique and vocabulary.

“My work uses the power of the visual metaphor to suggest ideas beyond the image. Painted brains and hearts come to represent the tensions between emotion and pragmatism, while other symbols also emerge; stigmata and crucifixes, for example, suggesting themes of love, sacrifice, faith and humanity.”

Barts Pathology Museum will be open daily between 2-6pm weekdays during the exhibition. 3rd Floor Robin Brook Centre, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE