full body workup 

At the end of January 2023, I developed a mystery illness that quickly escalated into a long ER stay which eventually resulted in a hospital transfer and admittance. After initial blood tests, it was decided I would receive an ultrasound, the first of many scans in a full body workup. According to a pediatric resident, my tests "painted an interesting picture". I had access to all of my results and scans, but unlike the resident, I was unable to properly contextualize them– so I painted some interesting pictures that I would understand. 

I quickly realized the importance of my ID wristband after being admitted to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Printed on the wristband were my name, birthday, sex, and a small, unique QR code placed incrementally around the circumference of my wrist. This QR code held the key to my entire medical history and future, and was scanned by every nurse and doctor that interacted with me.  The wristband sits below the paintings as an integral part of the experience. 

The installation

The installation includes the three paintings hung in a row with the wristband sitting in a small acrylic box below the middle painting. The audio plays on a continuous loop in the background. 

Audio

The corresponding audio is a combination of a heartbeat and ambient outdoor sounds that relate to the images. The audio simultaneously adds to the natural and medical aspects of the work by letting the listener experience both internal and external sounds. You can listen to two loops of the audio by clicking here and downloading the mp4 file.