Kaleb Bass 

While going about our lives, muscles contract, stretch, twist, and bend within the body. However, this beautiful element of movement is not often captured by anatomically positioned references. As a response, this project aims to depict muscles of the human body in motion. It reflects my undergraduate experiences as a double major in Studio Art and Exercise Science, as well as a track athlete. My passion for both human athletic performance and artistic representation makes anatomy a fascinating subject for me. Still, for a majority of the population, looking inside the human body can be unsettling.

These pieces aim to show the fascinating nature of anatomy in an approachable manner. The physicality of the aluminum panels brings the art of anatomy out of textbooks, atlases, and posters and presents it in way that cannot be rolled up or put aside. The reflective aluminum surface also captures the movement in the room, reminding viewers that their own movements are initiated by muscles like the ones depicted. Instead of isolating a single region of an individual figure as seen from the front or side (as traditional illustrations tend to do), these pieces combine positions, views, and figures in order to emphasize movement, the primary function of muscles. The goals of this project are to present human movement in an enlightening manner and to invite viewers to explore the inner workings of their own bodies.