Inside the Studio

Bodyscape, grid of four monoprints, each print 30 x 40 inches. 2021. Photo credit: E.G. Schempf

The heart is richly symbolic and connected to everything in the body. It is the center of lifeforce and often one of the first touchpoints in medical care. In the work Bodyscape, I have brought together my own experience with the heart and pediatric cardiology. Both of my children are cardiology patients at Children’s Mercy Hospital, as both have had Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW), a rare congenital heart condition. 

My youngest child had an extreme situation at six days old, the outcome of which was a diagnosis of WPW. I am certain that Children’s Mercy Hospital saved his life. A few years later, my oldest child was diagnosed with WPW at 9 years old and soon thereafter underwent a successful heart ablation procedure with Dr. Tisma and the cardiology team at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Both of my children are registered in a national study that tracks their journey as pediatric patients with WPW as they grow. 

Bodyscape incorporates heartrate scans from each of my children to tell a visual story of healing and strength. Each layer of color is hand-printed with a unique ink color onto the paper. The imagery is composed with 5-6 printed layers on each panel, overall creating an active and abstract landscape that speaks to how we understand the body itself. In this work, I bridge together my work and expertise as an artist and printmaker, my powerful connection to my children, and my family’s relationship with Children’s Mercy Hospital and Research Institute.