Local Artist Donates Copper Anatomical ‘Maps of Life’
Orlando artist Cynthia Jimenez on Wednesday donated three life-size copper sculptures to the UCF College of Medicine as a gift to help medical students understand that the skeleton is “a map of life.”
One of the pieces, called “Balance” actually balances in the scorpion yoga position. Another called “Play” reflects a human skeleton in recline. The third piece is a Florida bobcat. The artist crafts every joint, tooth and bone from perforated copper and then puts the bones together to create a “skeleton of expression.”
The art is displayed outside the College of Medicine’s new state-of-the-art Anatomy Lab.
Ms. Jimenez began studying anatomy after suffering serious injuries in a car accident. She took human dissection courses at the University of South Florida and became certified in kinesthetic anatomy, massage therapy and personal training. “I believe the body is a spiritual thing and during dissection you see that the skeleton is a map of the body. It reflects the life and the injuries of the person. I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate place for my artwork to be than the College of Medicine’s Anatomy Lab,” she said.
Andrew Payer, professor of anatomy at the College of Medicine, welcomed the artwork at the lab he helped design. “I think the donation is awesome,” Dr. Payer said. “It’s a blend of anatomy with art. And medicine is certainly a mixture of science and art.”