Tuesday, October 27, 2009

repels/fascinates ii. conjoined twins.



if you've been a long reader of this blog, it shouldn't surprise you that one of my most favorite obsessions is conjoined twins. i use the image of them a lot in my written and visual work, as it makes for an interesting metaphor, rich with hidden meanings. however, the image of them has been something that has fascinated me forever. medical abnormalities in general do this to me, i was even married at the mutter museum last year! to be marred by a difference, to be set against the current of "normal" yet to find ones own normalcy and self within the body of two people is something that interests me to no end.

for some more interesting reading on this subject, please check outauthor alice domuart dreger's book: one of us: conjoined twins and the future of normal.

5 comments :

Randall Nichols said...

I don't always get this from pictures of conjoined twins, but there's something sort of incestuous going on with these.

Lindsay B. said...

Oddly, I also have a fascination with conjoined twins. It all started when I saw the musical, "Side Show" about Daisy and Violet Hilton. Another recommended reading is "The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton". It's a fantastic account of their lives.

bloodmilk. said...

yes, i think you're right randall, but there must always be something incestuous with conjoined twins.
xo

Randall Nichols said...

You know, I've been thinking about this a lot, and I think you make a good point about that. I think the reason I made the separation [unavoidable pun] is that the skeletal twins in your header design always strike me as more platonic.

But with them, my eyes are more drawn to their attachment at the rib cage, as opposed to when I notice the pelvis, and things start leaning towards that incestuous vibe again. I don't know what it says about me, but I can't see hips close together and not think of sex. Hah.

Zev said...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/conjoined/index.html

I thought of you when I saw this.