Synthetic Fractures

Sculptures (foam Bone China porcelain). The European Ceramic Workcentre, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL).

Ceramic as a material has been used increasingly in biomedicine, reconstructive and replacement surgery. Until recently, physicians used metals such as titanium and chromium for bone replacements, but because any foreign substance in the body is subjected to rejection, scientists are constantly trying to find more acceptable materials. Specifically, scientists are searching for substances that more closely resemble real bone; a ceramic composite, when introduced into the body, its porous nature allows blood vessels and cells to enter. Ceramic is an agent with the capability to intermediate between organic and inorganic material. Based upon this research into bio-engineering and medicine, I made sculptural simulations. These synthetic implants suggest a symbiosis within a living body in a continuous process of self-repair, self-growth and self-destruction.

Photography: Peter Cox