Midterm Proposal

When one can mentally remove the ties to death that anatomy has and understand its scientific importance and beauty, I feel that it may deepen the appreciation of one’s internal structures. In that sentiment, I will be making an anatomical children’s book that playfully highlights the different functions and shapes of bones in the human body. My book would be something that could stand alone as a teaching tool or as means of entertainment. Artists like Jason Freeny and I Heart Guts have successfully experimented with bringing anatomy into a playful setting; Freeny with child’s toy dissections and I Heart Guts with anatomical character plushies. I also draw inspiration from the television show The Magic School Bus because it was able to address scientific subjects such as body systems in a memorable and exciting manner.

Our bones don’t only represent our mortality, but also our vitality. We would amount to very little without our insides working to keep us very much alive. This is why it is important to teach kids at a young age that skeletons don’t have to represent death or gore, but instead, a fundamental and fascinating element of every individual. Personally, this project is meant as a means to further explore my interest in both science and art, while utilizing my whimsical style.

In my studio, I will make my book from cardboard in a large size that is easy and inviting to hold. I will need to research binding and printing techniques for cardboard, being that I have never made a book from anything other than paper. Hollander’s in Kerrytown will have all the supplies I will need for this project. In order to pay for supplies, I will apply for a grant. Additional funds will come out of pocket.

This project could be shown in a gallery, however the real purpose is to put the book where children can easily access and enjoy it. The University of Michigan Children’s Hospital is an ideal setting because it is a place where young patients spend a lot of time waiting as well as dealing with issues concerning their body.

Sources: Jason Freeny and I Heart Guts are my biggest references for this project being that they are both well known for putting anatomy into a whimsical light. Two other artists who inspire me are Victor Rodriguez and Jenny Morgan, because they use anatomy in a way that goes beyond the textbook. Both artists make whimsical paintings full of bright colors and anatomical imagery. I will use The Magic School Bus and The Blood-Hungry Spleen: and Other Poems About Our Parts by Allan Wolf as references for interesting storylines that keep children engaged while facilitating learning. For textual sources, I will refer to my own personal anatomy textbooks as well as Gray’s Anatomy by Henry Gray to ensure my anatomical depictions and descriptions are accurate. It would also be beneficial to refer to Writing Children’s Books for Dummies by Lisa Rojany Buccierci for information about targeting and reaching my selected audience. 

Timeline: I will spend the remainder of October coming up with a storyboard and characters for my book so that by November 10, I will have a solid storyline I can convey for my grant. After I complete the grant, I will spend the next week researching ways to connect with children through storytelling by reading various children’s books and some how-to’s. I will then spend the following two weeks writing the dialogue for my book and coming up with character sketches so that I can turn them in on December 5 for the IP faculty consultations that will be December 14 and 15. I will spend the rest of the year working on my written thesis so I can submit it on January 4/5. I will spend the second week in January researching ways to bind and print on cardboard. I will also research other possible alternatives to cardboard for making my book. The next two weeks will be spent finalizing my illustrations for each page. By the second week of February I will have my first rough draft. I will then spend the next two weeks at UM’s Children’s Hospital and the Towsley Children’s House for testing the book’s success. The first week in March will be used for revisions. The second week of March will be for more product testing. The third and fourth weeks of March will be for revisions and crafting the final product. April 2/3 I will turn in my project to gallery installers. The following three weeks will be used to write the final written thesis, due April 22.