Body Worlds 3 Exhibit in Houston

I'm in Houston this week attending an AP Studio Art Summer Institute at Rice University. I really started getting excited about my trip on the drive to Houston when I saw billboards advertising this exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Body Worlds has been traveling around for awhile, but this is my first opportunity to view it. Dr. Gunther von Hagens developed a process called Plastination which preserves the human body from decay. Donors have willed their bodies to go through this process which create the exhibit. What a revolutionary process!! During the Renaissance, artists such as Leonardo da Vinci were obtaining cadavers for the purpose of studying the anatomical structure of the human and the beginning of serious science illustration began which greatly furthered developments in medicine. The human body continues to offer the greatest challenges for artists - understanding the structure of our bodies is the first step in successfully capturing their magic in art. The exhibit runs through September 4, 2006 at the Houston museum. Worth a trip to Houston!!