Introduction

This exhibit features the collaborative work of two colleagues begun in dialogue at The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Section on Medicine and the Arts. Artist Mary Anne Bartley has created the paintings and graphics of the exhibit, and has written the descriptive text. Poet Emanuel E. Garcia, MD, has created the poetry, sometimes responding to Bartley's work and sometimes provoking new creations on her part in response to his poems.

First mounted at Villanova University, the exhibit was displayed at Thomas Jefferson University in the fall of 2004, before traveling to other sites. Ms. Bartley's special connection with Jefferson adds layers of meaning for Jefferson viewers.

Artist's Statement

Physicians have long been viewed as powerful healers on the treacherous battlefield of life. Their image -- entrusted with the care of others and often mantled in the cloak of the divine -- evolves with science and the art of medicine itself. Physicians are armed with incredible powers to heal, yet the complex relationships between patients, insurance and care providers have lagged far behind.

Time is the enemy and stress is the mantra of our time.

Image 1 Lamentations (click to enlarge)

Caring for others evokes powerful emotions and effective therapy can assume many forms, medical and non-medical alike. Music has been shown to trigger the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain killers. A beautiful painting, a favorite song, a poem, or a good laugh can do the same. Art helps meet the needs of the whole person, not just the body. If we use the combined abilities of the mind and spirit as well as the body, we can heal faster and more completely.

Art is the pathway to this objective. Art establishes the basic human truths that are the key to the concept of ourselves. Art is the intersection of the holistic trinity of mind, body and spirit.

Since the image of a physician is rooted in the medical school experience, it is important to begin here.

--Mary Anne Bartley