NGF News

Unique art exhibit traces the stories behind scars
Many don't think of scars as works of art, but Ted Meyer is working to change that.

For about 10 years, the 47-year-old artist has been creating monoprints of scars and displaying the artwork in galleries. Last week, the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, D.C., opened an exhibit called "Scarred for Life," which displays 35 of Meyer's scar portraits, and it will run through March 2007. The prints are accompanied by a description that tells the story behind the scar. One is of a man who had a liver transplant; another is of a woman who fell from a tree and needed back surgery.

The museum is located at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Meyer wanted to add a portrait of a soldier's scar for the opening. However, it "didn't come to fruition," he says.

Still, finding models isn't difficult because people who are scarred want to "tell their unique story," he says. Meyer learned that others were more than willing to share their story the day he first displayed a scar portrait in a gallery. "People started coming up to me and they all started showing me their scars," he says. "They were pulling up their shirts and pulling down their pants."

So far, Meyer has sold one of his scar portraits, which go for $850 for a print or $2,000 to $3,000 for an original, but he's not planning on them being big sellers. "These images are not the kind of art people are going to buy," he says.

Meyer has his own scars from three hip replacement surgeries. Since he was a child, Meyer has received treatment for Gaucher disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes pain and deterioration of the joints and organs. The disease is fatal for many, but enzyme replacement therapy has enabled Meyer to cope.

Meyer says his scars are reminders of the good work healthcare providers deliver. He said many of his models feel the same way even though they never get the chance to express their gratitude.

"You meet these surgeons, they change your life, and you never see them again," he says.

Isn't It Time To Art Your World?

Ted Meyer
Art Your World
2020 N. Main #236
Los Angeles, CA 90031
Tel: 323 227 8836
FAX 323 227 8039
www.artyourworld.com