A woman stands with a prosthetic arm made of clear material and gold

Model Kelly Knox wearing “Synchronised.” Photos by Omkaar Kotedia, all images © The Alternative Limb Project, shared with permission

For more than a decade, Sophie de Oliveira Barata has been at the helm of The Alternative Limb Project, a Lewes-based studio that makes custom prosthetics for people with amputated or missing appendages. The designs range from uncannily realistic to fantastic, fairytale-like creations that fall at the intersection of art and medicine, a unique meeting point she discusses in a new interview with Colossal.

Some people have an idea that it will just be exactly the same all the time, and your body is a living organism, which is impossible to replicate. In some ways, it’s easier to go for an alternative because you haven’t got to match something that’s just changing all the time.

In this conversation, de Oliveira Barata speaks about the young girl who helped inspire the project, how cultural conceptions of physical disability have evolved, and the imaginative, empowering possibilities of alternative limbs.

Read the interview.

 

A person sits on a chair out of sight so that the image focuses on an anatomical prosthetic leg with blue muscles and a realistic looking partial foot

“Anatomical Leg”

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Interview: Sophie de Oliveira Barata on The Alternative Limb Project and the Nexus of Art and Medicine appeared first on Colossal.

©

Related Posts

woven rug in living room with white walls and pops of yellow and pink. / sfgirlbybaywoven rug in living room with white walls and pops of yellow and pink. / sfgirlbybay
the new zealand design scene.
Last week I explored the Byron Bay scene in Australia,...
Read more
Robot VacuumRobot Vacuum
The best EOFY robot vacuum deals in...
BEST ECOVACS ROBOT VACUUM DEALSECOVACS DEEBOT N8+ 3-in-1 Robot Vacuum...
Read more
Interview: Sophie de Oliveira Barata on The Alternative Limb Project and the Nexus of Art and MedicineInterview: Sophie de Oliveira Barata on The Alternative Limb Project and the Nexus of Art and Medicine
Race Track-inspired Desk Organizer Concept Redefines Workspace...
Modern workspaces are chaotic battlegrounds where creativity meets clutter. Whether...
Read more
Interview: Sophie de Oliveira Barata on The Alternative Limb Project and the Nexus of Art and MedicineInterview: Sophie de Oliveira Barata on The Alternative Limb Project and the Nexus of Art and Medicine
This functional tiny camping trailer from the...
Once upon a time, there was a company called Island...
Read more
Police dog state.Police dog state.
Amazing Animal Farm reprinting – with illustrations...
...
Read more
Interview: Sophie de Oliveira Barata on The Alternative Limb Project and the Nexus of Art and MedicineInterview: Sophie de Oliveira Barata on The Alternative Limb Project and the Nexus of Art and Medicine
Use These Tricks To Give Your Restaurant...
Minimalism has been trendy for a good few years now,...
Read more