After Image

Following a series of conversations with neurologist, John Kew and neuropsychologist, Professor Peter Halligan to research and visualise phantom limbs, I worked with eight people with amputations to visualise their phantom limbs. A ‘straight’ portrait of each of the eight people photographed ‘normalises’ the more bizarre images of phantoms. All images were created in conversation with the person depicted and were constructed according to their descriptions and in line with the way they wished to be represented. Exhibited beside each set of photos is a text, derived from an interview, in which each person describes the history of their phantom limb experience. The work asks 'what is a 'normal' body?', and explores the relationship between somatic experience and external appearance.

This project represents the start of my longstanding interest in working with people who experience physical or mental health difficulties. It was one of the first SciArt Collaborations sponsored by The Wellcome Trust. In 1998 After Image won the prestigious Imaginaria digital art prize at ICA London in 1998. Since then images from the series have been exhibited and published in a wide range of art and science contexts, both nationally and internationally.

24 x digitally manipulated C-type photographs, 75cm x 50cm.