KRMC laboratory debuts art that is you

Ever wonder what happened to that biopsy of your appendix, that blood slide or tissue sample?

You may see a photo of it hanging in Kalispell Regional Medical Center's new art exhibit.

"It features cellular structures," said Patricia Stewart, curator of the gallery. "I tell you they are stunning."

In the works for more than two years, the new exhibit, "Beauty Within - Cellular Structures as Living Art," features the photographs of Terry Petersen, laboratory director, pathologist Dr. David Walker and other scientists at the lab.

A Technicolor collection of swirling shapes and multiple textures, the exhibit lives up to its name.

A vision of purple and white abstract shapes, colon mucosal tissue never looked more beautiful. Stomach lining reveals a golden network of braided, corral-like structures eclipsed only by the red and pink tie-dye pattern of its neighbor, the duodenum.

Photograph after photograph reveals a kaleidoscope of the fantastic shapes and colors undulating underneath our skin. Some of the rascals that cause misery also cut a colorful swath through the collection.

"It's amazing how absolutely beautiful the bad guys are - just as beautiful as the good guys," Stewart said with a laugh. "The gout crystals are stunning."

She said that the lab staff put in much more time and effort than she expected. Labels (in nonmedical terms) included with each photograph provide fascinating insight into the function of the body.

A visitor learns that the appendix, resembling a blooming purple petunia in the photo, has no known digestive function. However, it contains lymphatic tissue that may serve as part of the immune system, helping the body resist infections.

"Terry [Petersen] wrote the labels," Stewart said. "I think they are really educational."

Each photograph displays cells and tissues integrated into the structure or function of an organ or system of the body. The collection also includes microorganisms that take up residence within certain tissues.

Stewart said she initially asked the staff to choose only healthy, positive structures for the hallway exhibit leading to the cafeteria, one of several exhibit areas making up the Northwest Healthcare Healing Arts Gallery.

"But they couldn't resist" the unhealthy, she said. "It's good for the public to include a few."

As a result, gallery visitors may study the art of the structure of basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer).

Or, how about E. coli, a fascinating display in gray, black and white with tubular structures (hot dogs) suspended in a glycerine-looking substance. One also learns that E. Coli has gotten a heap of bad press over just a few bad actor strains.

Petersen wrote that most strains are harmless, even helpful, breaking down substances missed by digestive enzymes.

For those into minimalist art, check out the fungal cells. But for an explosion of color and pattern, gout rules.

According to the description, gout represents the most frequently recorded medical illness in history. For centuries those gorgeous uric acid crystals have plagued humans, causing joints to inflame and big toes to swell.

Most of the cell structures focus on healthy body parts, such as the bone and the bone close-up of a cross-section of a femur. The distant view resembles a tree trunk while the close-up photo changes to look like rocks in a bed of sand.

Asked for a favorite, Stewart didn't have to think long.

"The stem cell is the most gorgeous," she said.

Art mixes a bit with politics, considering the debate over medical cures using embryonic stem cells. This exhibit features a bone-marrow stem cell with radiating circles of purple, green, brown and yellow.

Other memorable photos include the harvest moon retina, the tree-at-midnight lung, raspberry jam parathyroid gland, bouquet of roses platelets, colorful quilt connective tissue and the purple slices of kiwi fruit sweat glands.

Hospital visitors may view "Beauty Within" at no charge through Oct. 28. They may purchase an 8-by-12-inch copy of their favorite cell structure photo for $35 by calling Stewart at 257-4217. Proceeds benefit Northwest Healthcare Foundation.

Don't miss the descriptive sheet written by Petersen available at the beginning of the exhibit.

Stewart asks visitors to join the lab staff for an awesome journey "through this microscopic world to see that we are all living art."

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.