Artwork
Body Scan
Body Scan is a print by Catherine Walsh. It dates from 2012 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Catherine Walsh's 2012 screenprint Body Scan presents a vertical composition of textual elements that map the human form through language.
Catherine Walsh's 2012 screenprint Body Scan presents a vertical composition of textual elements that map the human form through language. Blue and green typography alternates with repetitions of the word 'breath,' while a faint red outline traces a central figure. The work blends medical and poetic modes of observation, using repetition and color to structure visual and bodily rhythm. It is signed, titled, and numbered by the artist, affirming its status as a limited edition print.
Subject & Meaning
The piece uses the lexicon of anatomy, 'toes,' 'ankles,' 'knees', to construct a symbolic portrait of the body. As the list progresses, the word 'breath' emerges repeatedly, shifting focus from structure to function. This transition suggests an intimate connection between physical form and vital process.
The work invites contemplation of how language can both describe and embody lived experience, turning medical terminology into a meditative chant.
Technique & Style
Walsh employs screenprinting to layer text with precision, using distinct colors to differentiate anatomical terms from the recurring 'breath.' The yellow figure, outlined in red thread, appears as a ghostly silhouette beneath the words, suggesting an underlying presence. The alignment of text in a single vertical column creates a rhythmic, almost clinical pacing, while the subtle contrast in hue guides the viewer’s eye downward, mimicking the descent of attention through the body.
History & Provenance
Created in 2012, Body Scan is part of Walsh’s broader exploration of text as a medium for bodily representation. It has been exhibited in contemporary art contexts focusing on language-based practices. The work retains its original edition numbering and artist’s signature, confirming its authenticity and placement within her printed oeuvre. No public record of prior ownership or major collections is documented beyond its exhibition history.
Context
Emerging from a tradition of conceptual art that privileges language over imagery, Body Scan aligns with late 20th- and early 21st-century practices that interrogate the body through textual systems. It echoes works by artists like Joseph Kosuth and Adrian Piper, who used words to challenge perception. The piece also resonates with contemporary interest in mindfulness and somatic awareness, framing the body not as an object but as a process sustained by breath.
Legacy
While not widely reproduced in major institutional collections, Body Scan contributes to ongoing dialogues about the intersection of language, identity, and embodiment in contemporary printmaking. Its quiet, repetitive structure has influenced emerging artists working with textual portraiture and embodied writing. The work remains a quiet example of how minimal means can evoke complex physiological and psychological states.
Artist & collection
Artist
Printmaker Catherine Walsh makes layered, hand-pulled prints that often anchor on a single place or object.
