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ORDINEM CORPORIS

Olivia Corso

My project is a narrative of the human body, told in the form of a High or Northern Renaissance altarpiece, using imagery akin to that of anatomical textbooks from the 16th century. The installation consists of an altarpiece – eleven illustrations of varying dimensions, matted and framed together in a traditional winged structure. The altarpiece showcases eleven different features or views, if you will, of the human anatomy. Each piece is in conversation with another, using formal elements of form, visual weight, and texture. By separating individual pieces of the body and placing them in conversation with one another, I highlight the interconnectedness of the whole system. The title – Ordinem corporis, or "On the Order of the Human Body" – communicates a reverence for the traditions from which I draw inspiration.

I am attracted to order and structure, and I endeavored to create a project which would reflect this larger interest. One can easily identify this thread that weaves through my work: Renaissance art is orderly, with a foundation in mathematical compositions and precise perspective; the human body is certainly orderly, a conglomerate of perfectly fit pieces and parts able to function as a whole; altarpieces themselves work in a similar fashion, particular scenes narrating the larger story of Christianity; even my drawing style is orderly, a system of lines drawn in specific directions and layers to create a sense of shade and form.

I want my audience to interact with the final piece as one would a Renaissance polytych or an anatomical textbook – to both marvel and examine.

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ARTIST BIO

In honor of her artistic inspirations, Olivia Corso likes to refer to herself as a “Renaissance woman.” Graduating in 2020 from Furman University with degrees in Studio Art and English, possibly pursuing a career in medicine, she is not easily satisfied by one single path. If possible, she would move in all directions at once.

 

As it is, Olivia fills her time with opportunities to satiate all her creative and intellectual pursuits. When she’s not drawing in the studio, writing, reading, or studying complex protein compounds, she’s running on the Swamp Rabbit trail, hiking in the Carolina mountains, or just trying to catch up on sleep. Sometimes, she even dreams of playing the piano.

 

In everything she does, Olivia is attentive to the body. Her love of human anatomy pervades her work, be that her creative nonfiction, illustrations, or academic studies. Upon graduating, she will take some much needed time to determine in which direction she wants to move. Until she changes her mind. Again.

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