Artwork without Anaesthetic (or Please don't do that, Mr Squires)

When I was researching early nineteenth century medicine for my last book I came across a fascinating and highly unusual museum in London called 'The Old Operating Theatre, Museum & Herb Garret' very close to the London Bridge Underground Station. As well as the operating theatre, which is preserved as it used to be in the eighteenth century, the garrett contains comprehensive information on the old 'heroic' medicine with an impressive display of instruments and accounts of operations without anaesthetic. It is well-worth a visit if you are passing (and of a twisted and macabre disposition).

While I was there I asked to be put on their mailing list and periodically receive emails about irritatingly-interesting exhibitions (irritating because they are in London which is 200 miles away and I can't afford to visit that often). This one just appeared in my in-box and I have to say that I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT RICHARD SQUIRES IS REALLY GOING TO DO THIS.....!

SUTURE: ARTWORK WITHOUT ANAESTHETIC

SUTURE is a two-part exhibition at The Old Operating Theatre, Museum & Herb Garret. An intervention of moving image and photographic work, SUTURE places video monitors and light boxes amongst the amputation saws, trepanning tools, pill-making machines and instruments for the surgical removal of human gall bladder stones and diseased limbs.

Following the success of SUTURE Part One, the Old Operating Theatre Museum is temporarily relocating to the crypt of St. Thomas’s Church where artists Richard Squires and Phillip Warnell present new works in part two of SUTURE…

Richard Squires will present a new interactive multi-media work 'SalivaDriver' in which the artist can be viewed via a webcam-style interface, having undergone a surgical procedure to expose his salivary duct. Utilising the interface the viewer can manage the artist’s salivation.

Phillip Warnell presents two new photographic light-box works: 'Incubator' and 'Calculus'; generated specifically for exhibition at The Old Operating Theatre, utilising the museum’s collection of extraordinary part organic, part mineral artefacts.

The exhibition is accompanied by a limited edition designed by the artists with a text by Lisa Le Feuvre. This is available at the venue.

There will be an accompanying artists talk at The Old Operating Theatre Museum on 14 January 2006 at 2pm: Richard Squires and Phillip Warnell in conversation with Lisa LeFeuvre, writer and curator of Contemporary Art at the National Maritime Museum.

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Address: 9a St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
Tel: 020 7188 2679 Recorded information 020 8806 4325
Email: curator@thegarret.org.uk
Website: www.thegarret.org.uk
Events: http://www.thegarret.org.uk/events.htm
Edcuation: http://www.thegarret.org.uk/education