Anatomy 3 (ATOM Study Guide)

Producers Tony Ayres, Michael McMahon and Trevor Blainey's three-part documentary series Anatomy 3 explores questions about aspects of the physical body, gender and sexuality in contemporary art practice in surprising and sometimes quite confronting ways. The films raise questions about how we define art as well as confronting our preconceptions about sexuality and gender. Each film explores notions of transformation, representation and identity, challenging us to rethink expectations and beliefs. Each of the three films – Tissue, Hair and Nerve – is approximately 30 minutes long. The films are quite distinct in subject matter and style and could be screened separately.

Anatomy, the first of this documentary series made by producers Tony Ayres and Michael McMahon in 2008, explored aspects of the physical body in contemporary art practice. These films – Muscle, Skin and Heart – explored the often complex relationship between the body and art.

In 2010 Ayres, McMahon and Polly Staniford produced Anatomy 2 – Mind, Eye and Face – which also explored aspects of sexuality, gender and identity. The focus in these films was on the role of the artist as a recorder of how people perceive and present themselves.

The nine documentaries in the three Anatomy series each have different directors who present their material in very different ways. The approach to how they tell each story is as important as the material they are working with.

As with all art, we are asked to respond not simply to the subject or the character, but to how the artists and the filmmakers present their subject, how perceptions can create new and sometimes surprising representations of life and art and how the two intersect. Each film raises questions about boundaries, what it means to be human and about the purpose of art for both artist and audience.

Curriculum Relevance:

These three short films – Tissue, Hair and Nerve – would be suitable for senior secondary and tertiary students in the following study areas:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Philosophy
• Ethics
• Health and Personal Development
• Gender Studies
• Cinema and Media Studies
• Visual Arts subjects, including Photography

As many of the issues raised in these films relate to how we represent the world and our identity, they could also be valuable resources for senior English classes. How can and do we tell stories today when we have at our disposal technology and media that go beyond print, allowing us to make and present ideas in new and exciting ways?