Mairin Hartt

Chicago, Illinois

Against the grain is a series of detailed mixed media drawings referencing microscopic cross-sections of human tissue. My interest in the relationship between microscopic anatomy and processes stems from their role in creating and sustaining complex organisms. Their collective cooperation makes our existence possible. The focus on cross-sectional or transverse cuts of muscle and connective tissue results from the unique patterns and unorthodox shapes they provide. In comparison to longitudinal cuts, a cross-section cut seems the antithesis to the nature of self-preservation, a desire to maintain the whole. Severing a group of muscle fibers seems akin to severing a ‘connection’ to view the connection itself.

Past Artists on the Lam shows: Exquisite Corpse (2011) & LEXICON (2016)

Untitled 1 [Against the Grain]

2018, pen and pencil on paper, 11” x 14”, NFS

Untiled 2 [Against the Grain]

2018, pen and pencil on paper, 11 x 14”, NFS