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For Release: September 1, 2004
Contact: DMS Communications(603) 650-1492
Print Version
Paintings of Medical Achievements Unveiled at Dartmouth Medical School
HANOVER, NH - Three mural-sized paintings of historical achievements at Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) were recently unveiled by the young artists. The murals, each depicting a defining moment for the medical school were painted by fourth-year medical student Joseph Dwaihy and his partner Sara Dykstra, a professional artist who has exhibited her work around the world. Professional photographs of the paintings and artists are available for publication upon request and can be viewed here.
The paintings measure 6 feet by 8 feet and depict three centuries of medicine at DMS. The first painting portrays DMS founder Nathan Smith riding on horseback with several medical students in tow to visit a patient in rural Vermont, circa 1797. Another illustrates the first x-ray performed in the United States in 1886, showing Edwin Frost, professor of physics and his brother, Dr. Gilman Dubious Frost of the Medical School performed the experiment on the broken arm of a young patient who fell while ice skating on the Connecticut River.
The final piece shows the country's first intensive care unit (ICU), established in 1955 by Dr. William Mosenthal, a professor of anatomy and of surgery at DMS who realized that grouping critically ill patients with nursing resources would not only improve the care of these patients but also diminish disturbances for other less serious patients.
For Dykstra, the paintings possess a moment of anticipation, patience and a silence that draws attention to the motion of time and how slow it can seem. "The passage of time was important to convey in these pieces: experiencing the quietness of the Vermont landscape as you slowly approach your first house call; the eagerness that comes in awaiting the outcome of an experiment as the time-clock is ticking; and the prolonged sense of waiting and hopefulness as you stand over a recovering patient," said Dykstra who volunteered over a year of their time to produce the paintings. "Painting is a slow, deliberate process and during the time that it takes to bring moments back to life, you also begin to develop a connection with your subjects. In spending days studying and painting the details of a subtle facial expression and posture, you begin to long for an understanding of that person and imagine their life before and after the small piece of time which you've depicted." The paintings represent an emphasis by the faculty and administration on the role of the arts in medical education.
"The relationship between the arts and medicine is extremely important. By tapping their creativity outside the classroom, students are reminded that patient care is, indeed, an art in itself," said Dr. Joseph O'Donnell, senior advising dean and director of community programs at DMS. "These historic depictions not only enhance the physical learning environment of the medical school but also serve as a strong reminder of how far medical technology has come and how much farther we will go to enhance health care. By portraying our history at Dartmouth Medical School, they remind the students of our long lineage of service and innovation for the patients in our region."
"My interest in art has always lied in creating and placing work for hospital settings and working environments; all places where art is needed and capable of acting as a mediator to quiet the noise of our contemporary lives while filling it with a sense of beauty, reflected Dykstra. "Bringing this aspiration to life at Dartmouth was an absolute honor and a wonderful way to begin my career. Collaborating with Joseph also brought new challenges, redefined and expanded the way in which I approach painting. Having a second set of eyes, willing to critique, has accelerated the development of my techniques far beyond where they were a year ago."
In the brief time they have been on display in an auditorium used for medical lectures and classes, faculty, students and guests of DMS have made several laudatory comments about the paintings and what they represent to the field of medicine. "The paintings depict, to me, the essence of what it means to be a physician," said Dr. David Nierenberg, associate dean of academic affairs. "On one side of the lecture hall, students can gaze upon the commitment that a doctor should feel toward his patients, illustrated by DMS Founder Nathan Smith on horseback visiting a new mother and her baby. Hanging on the opposite wall is the first x-ray, a groundbreaking example of what is possible when a doctor decides to try new and different approaches to enhance the treatment for his patients."
Both artists are available for comment and high resolution photos of the artwork can be sent upon request. Contact Andy Nordhoff at DMS Communications for more information.
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