About
Street Anatomy obsessively covers the use of human anatomy in medicine, art, and design.
Street Anatomy began as a blog to educate people about the field of medical illustration and slowly evolved into an exploration of how anatomy is portrayed in everything from fine art to advertising. We’ve even seen its widespread use in street art and tattoos.
Anatomical illustration and medical imaging have broken out of the confines of the medical world and are being used by artists and designers to bring a human and emotional element to their work—as well as a touch of memento mori. Anatomy is very much a part of pop culture and artists are finding innovative ways to portray it every single day. I’m constantly amazed by what I find and by what other people send me.
Anatomy is not gross, it’s not repulsive, it’s beautiful. Our anatomy has incredible depth and beauty. At Street Anatomy, we’re dedicated to showing you how anatomy is visualized in its many forms.
About the Founder
Street Anatomy is the creation of Vanessa Ruiz, art director, medical illustrator, blogger, and all out anatomy fanatic. She created Street Anatomy while getting her master’s in Biomedical Visualization at the University of Illinois at Chicago—one of only five medical illustration graduate programs in North America.
She currently works as a senior art director at one of the top pharmaceutical ad agencies in downtown Chicago and does freelance medical illustration and design work on the side. She also curated the first Street Anatomy group gallery show from November to December 2010 at the International Museum of Surgical Science and plans to do many more shows in the future.
Vanessa is also the author of Think Anatomy—links to the best human anatomy study aids on the Internet.
Feel free to contact her at vanessa [a] streetanatomy.com
Street Anatomy Contributors
Heather Tompkins is the first official contributor to Street Anatomy. She has an excellent eye for spotting amazing illustration and design.
Heather is also an extremely talented illustrator and filmmaker who’s done her own anatomical work including illustrating an anatomical heart tattoo for a friend. She currently resides in San Francisco where she freelances, alongside pursuing her masters in web design and interactive media. Soon she will be unstoppable.
Heather’s take on anatomy in art:
“This new social obsession with anatomical art is both educational and visually stunning, and takes the artist back to the basics, so to speak. It is revealing and telling, in life and death, and the use of our bodies to create visual representations of other bodies is a didactic process I enjoy exploring and experimenting with.”
Take a look through her stunning portfolio here or contact Heather personally at heatheratompkins [a] gmail.com
Vanessa (mini-van) Vegter has a sharp wit, a smart tongue and a passionate anatomical heart.
Vanessa is currently finishing up at the University of Calgary pursing a B.S. in Psychology. Her focus is on neurology and brain processes interacting with social cues, primarily on the biological/societal influences on gender identity and the role of androgens in utero—basically, she’s a whore for hormones.
With an appreciation for anatomy from childhood and a passion for the expressive quality of all types of art forms, Vanessa is another perfect fit for the Street Anatomy world, of which she says,
“when you stumble upon something that so obviously speaks to you it’s an amazing feeling. Two fundamental aspects of human existence coming together so flawlessly. I’m definitely feeling it.”
Contact Vanessa at vmvegter [a] ucalgary.ca
Aman Agah, born in NJ and hailing from Virginia, where she grew up, she currently resides in Brooklyn, NY where she kicks ass and takes names. A writer on the side with a film obsession, she runs the blog The Radish Press that she uses to write film critiques, upload terribly edited pictures of her cats using Microsoft paint, and muse on every day sort of things (all with hilarity and poise).
Aman in her own words:
I have always been interested in the supernatural and gothic and I have found that anatomy always plays a part in those tales. Frankenstein’s creation is one of my all time favorite characters in literature and film and it gave way to Edward Scissorhands… I think more than anatomy itself, I enjoy the possibilities of it; its use in art and literature and the fact that our bodies and the bodies of animals are so complex. I also have a fascination with death and the death of our bodies, and I have two anatomical tattoos!
Contact Aman at agah.aman [a] gmail.com
New Jersey originated and Chicago-based, medical illustrator, designer, trendspotter, Jennifer von Glahn.
Jen was a fellow classmate of mine from UIC’s Biomedical Visualization Master’s program and a graduate from Case Western Reserve University. She has the ability to spot some of the coolest anatomy related fashion, gadgets, products, and more. Keep an eye out for her must have anatomy gift lists. I guarantee you’ll be spending some cash because of this girl.
Contact Jen at j.vonglahn [a] gmail.com
If you’re interested in becoming an official Street Anatomy contributor use the contact page to get in touch.
We’re always looking for individuals who are equally intrigued by anatomy!
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