Medical Lessons

On Friday I visited the Scar Project exhibit at Open­house, on Mul­berry Street just south of Spring. Pho­tog­rapher David Jay offers pen­e­trating, large, wall-​​​​mounted images of young people with breast cancer.

The photos reveal women who’ve have had surgery, radi­ation, recon­struction or partial recon­struction of the breasts. Some are strik­ingly beau­tiful. Some appear con­fused, others con­fident. Some look right at you, defiant or maybe proud. Some, post-​​​​mastectomy, adopt frankly or strangely sexual pos­tures. Others hide a breast, or turn away from the lens.

This col­lection is not for everyone. The photos of ravaged bodies of women with cancer might be upsetting, if not frankly dis­turbing, to some who look at them. Not everyone chooses to do so.

The women’s scars and expres­sions are telling. Though not rep­re­sen­tative, these images reflect wounds not often-​​​​shown in medical journals, or elsewhere.

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