Epilepsy Test

The University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum showcases a multitude of artists and provocative visual displays. Among the collection, is “Landscape of the Body” (Epilepsy Test), by LaToya Ruby Fraizer. Fraizer, uses her photographs to express the struggles of her family, her mother’s ailments, and the social justice issues that have arose within her community. This particular piece is a representation of the relationship between her mother’s health conditions, and the availability to healthcare in their hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania. “Landscape of the Body” displays two photographs side by side. The left depicts Frazier’s mother hospitalized. When first looking upon the piece, the viewer will see a woman connected to a complex piece of medical equipment by an array of wires. The many wires connecting the two seem to be placed near her neck and cranium. Further observations include Frazier’s mother is
sitting up in her hospital bed, dressed in a gown, and not facing the camera. The right side of “Landscape of the Body” depicts a destroyed building. Parts of the construction still show some of its structure, but other areas are mangled beyond recognition. This side of the composition is characterized with destruction, hanging metal wires and debris. The viewer will also notice the piece is in black and white. The lack of color is another crucial deduction and has various implications regarding form, emotion, and meaning.
There are many elements of art and design that aid in viewing this composition the way the photographer envisioned. With the element of balance, Fraizer arranges the two sides of the composition. The two sides of this work are equally weighed, and are comfortably placed to contribute to the overall layout. There is a sense of equality, correlation, and connection that contributes to the claim there is a relationship between Frazier’s mother and the destroyed building.
In this piece, Fraizer also uses emphasis by creating two distinct focal points for the viewer to be drawn to. These focal points are, her mother in the hospital bed, and the building in ruins. Emphasis on these two focal points and the stark contrast between these two points has a profound effect on the viewer’s perception of the piece as a whole. These two elements in unison evoke a degree of interest and curiosity. It is up to the viewer to discern what the context is between the hospitalized women covered in multiple wires and probes, and the wreckage of boards and electrical cables that once were a part of a building. At a glance, the juxtaposition of the women and the destroyed building could lead the viewer to comment on similarities concerning lines, and repetition. The display of various unorganized wires is a repeated and key element in both pictures. The lines of wires is the deepest connection; other than lack of color, the women and destroyed building have to each other. Working off that connection, the viewer could support the metaphoric notion the disease or illness is destroying the women on the inside, just as the building has been destroyed. This similarity also facilities movement across the composition that is directed along these lines or wires. In addition to elements like contrast and repetition, another key element used by Frazier in this composition is an aesthetic of black and white. In a day and age where it is possible to capture a wide array of beautiful colors and hues, it is important to recognize when an artist refrains from doing so. Photographs in black and white place an emphasis on the movement of light across the composition, and the shadows created by different angles and objects within the image. Frazier’s reasoning for producing this image with a lack of color could also be to reduce any distractions to her desired focal points. Aside from technical reasons to include the element of black and white, deeper meaning and emotion can be evoked by using this aesthetic. A certain degree of muteness is added to the photographs. Instead of the photograph “speaking” for itself, the viewer must use the visual elements to decode it; almost like a black and white silent movie. The mood is also affected and results in a somber, serious, dull feeling emitting from the composition. I personally enjoyed this piece of artwork by LaToya Frazier because the surface of the photograph does not reveal a large portion of the meaning behind the piece.
Although an analysis of Frazier’s photograph and the artistic elements she manipulates can be made without any background information, the viewer’s understanding would be enhanced if certain points were brought to light. In regards to her mother’s condition, she suffers from cancer, migraines, and seizures. With this information, I began to believe the building on the left was the aftermath of an earthquake, and was placed beside a picture of Frazier’s mother to symbolize her medical history of seizures. It was only after I looked into her the significance of her hometown to her artwork that I fully understood what Frazier wanted to relay all along. The building on the left was the remains of Braddock’s main healthcare facility. This photograph opened my eyes to injustice and inequality faced by many like Frazier and her family and also contributed to my appreciation of this
composition.