Toxic Tau

Alzheimer's disease, artwork

Mamamania: An artistic interpretation of Alzheimer's Disease

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A study of the artists grandmother's hands, folded in her lap. The artist's grandmother suffers from Alzheimer's, and this painting was created shortly after 'Mama' moved to a nursing home, after her Alzheimer's disease progressed to a stage where could no longer look after herself. "She lost a lot of weight, and a broad, strong, matriarch became a feeble, bird-like woman. Yet however small her frame became, her hands remained large and strong and capable." 



'Mania' expresses the dementia Mama experiences, also reflected in the fragmented shapes and background of the painting; an atmosphere reflecting the nightmares she described earlier on in the process of losing her mind, when she was still able to explain it. Mania, also relates to the Latin roots of the word for hand. The relaxed pose of her hands in the picture alludes to the way the body can settle and remain hardy, even when the mind has become chaotic.

This image is the artist's interpretation of part of a scanning electron micrograph of a brain cell of an Alzheimer's patient. It shows a tangle of protein (green) which lies within the cytoplasm (blue) of the cell. The tangle consists of clumps of a toxic form of tau.

 
The original artwork measures 77cm x 140 cm and is made entirely using the ancient craft of felt making and the medium is pure wool and silk fibres amalgamated with friction, soap and water.

An artistic interpretation of Alzheimer's Disease.


This painting was created shortly after 'Mama', the artist's grandmother, moved to a nursing home after her Alzheimer's disease progressed to a stage where could no longer look after herself. "She lost a lot of weight, and a broad, strong, matriarch became a feeble, bird-like woman. Yet however small her frame became, her hands remained large and strong and capable." 



The hand, here a strong tangible image, represents the way the body can settle and remain hardy, even when the mind has become chaotic. The maps breaking up the lines of the hand further represent fragmentation of character, particularly in the way Alzheimer's interrupts neurological pathways in the brain, disrupting and even tearing up, knowledge, thoughts and memories. 



Painting, oil and ink.

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Neurodegeneration

Images

Catalogue

Mamamania: An artistic interpretation of Alzheimer's Disease

Toxic Tau

Alzheimer's disease, artwork

Today’s opening times

Wellcome uses cookies.

Neurodegeneration

Images

Catalogue

Mamamania: An artistic interpretation of Alzheimer's Disease

Toxic Tau

Alzheimer's disease, artwork

Wellcome Collection

Today’s opening times