Ariana Page Russell
Ariana Page Russell is a fine example of an artist really working with what she’s got - in her case, a skin condition called dermatographia. Here she explains it in her own words:
My own skin frequently blushes and swells. I have dermatographia, a condition in which one’s immune system exhibits hypersensitivity, via skin, that releases excessive amounts of histamine, causing capillaries to dilate and welts to appear (lasting about thirty minutes) when the skin’s surface is lightly scratched. This allows me to painlessly draw patterns and words on my skin, which I then photograph.
Ariana Page Russell - Index
Russell also takes these images one step further creating temporary tattoos and wallpaper from the photographs of her own skin welts.
Ariana Page Russell - Pivot (detail)
Wow! How intriguing!
Posted by Lindsay on February 9th, 2008 @ 3:18 am
Whoa! This is amazing work. I am stunned to silence. I will have to post about her…when i regain my composure. Thanks for the link.
Posted by Tay on February 11th, 2008 @ 3:00 am
I also have this skin condition and have had it for 4 years. I would be interested in comparing symptoms if you would like to get in touch
Posted by Katy on March 20th, 2008 @ 11:22 pm
Hi Katy, it’s not actually me who has the condition, it’s the artist, Ariana Page Russell - I was just quoting her words, sorry if that was unclear. If you want to get in touch with her, she can be contacted through her website at http://www.arianapagerussell.com/
Posted by Kirsty on April 27th, 2008 @ 3:22 pm