artist. And, if it can be said that “by their fruits you shall know them,” then one can see how Shortt’s love of nature, heal- ing and chiropractic is deeply engrained and multifaceted. His white walls are strewn with paintings that depict heal- ers in the disciplines of medicine, den- tistry, cosmetic surgery and, of course, chiropractic. Many of the paintings also focus on anatomy, with his chiropractic pieces featuring, by and large, images of the human spinal column. With the use of texture and dimension, Shortt pro- duces images which, at the same time, evoke an awarness of a universal pow- er while sharply focusing on the reality of individual potential for health – or suffering. One is made to feel that this is actually a choice – to be alone or part of a whole, to be well or succumb to the evil of disease. Each piece has the quality of a dream while heightening the participant’s awareness of being human. “It was not a conscious decision that I made,” says Shortt, regarding his work with chiropractic images, “it just sort of evolved.” Shortt is, himself, a dedicated chiro- practic patient. He is an advocate for natural therapies because of their holistic nature and simply fi nds himself attracted to the images that are prevalent within the chiropractic profession. “I am interested in the history of chi- ropractic; I have read about D.D. Palmer and how he was led to chiropractic work and about B.J’s role in promoting the profession,” muses Shortt. “I sim- ply fi nd that the shapes of bones in the spinal column are visually beautiful and, so, the chiropractic paintings that I have produced are an artist’s render- ing of the spine, and not necessarily an anatomical depiction.” Stephen Shortt creates his paintings with graphite and acrylic paints. The graphite is ground into a powder to create a “fl otage” and the bones are embossed onto the paintings – this gives them the almost three-dimensional quality that makes the pieces unique and intriguing to view. Shortt zeroes in on, and accen- tuates, those features of the spine that he is most attracted to. In his depiction of D.D. and B.J. Palmer with a spine, Shortt is realizing his interest in the history and development of the profession as well as the anatomical area that is the primary focus of its work. www.canadianchiropractor.ca Red Spine “It’s not medical, for me,” reiterates Shortt, “it’s the beauty of the bones.” Stephen Shortt’s interests extend to the areas of dentistry and plastic surgery as well as the history of medicine. His interest in these fi elds evolved from his attraction to chiropractic and he con- siders his work with spine images to be his primary focus. His works have been featured at several exhibitions, including Le mois de la photo, in Montreal, Gallery 101 in Ottawa, Arte Fiera, in Bologna, Italy, Whitechapel Art Gallery in London, England, and the Alternative Museum in New York City. This year is the first that Shortt will be featuring his work at the Parker Seminars for chiropractors, both in Las Vegas (February 7-9) and Mon- treal (May 14-17). He is very excited about the prospect of participating in these two meetings. Shortt’s work will also be featured at the meeting of the Florida Chiropractic Association in 2008. Shortt tells me he loves plants with big leaves and that his three rescued cats skulk about his place without compro- mising the quiet that his building affords him to practise his craft. He is fond of chiropractors and respects the chiroprac- tic profession but is, primarily, attracted to the beauty of the natural shape of human bones. He describes the view from his loft as panoramic and dominated by sky. I cannot help but feel that his advocacy of chiropractic, through his depiction of its history and practices, will lift his audiences to the heights that he has experienced within his own quest for health. What better tribute to the de- velopment and purpose of chiropractic than this personal expression of how it has touched his life, and what a splen- did public invitation he provides, to the world, to come and learn of its tremen- dous healing potential .• CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | FEBRUARY 2008 • 9 Photo credits to Jade Morin at photosynthese
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