Chromo-Therapy

Patrick A. Nagatani

1945–2017

Chromo-Therapy, 1981

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: silver-dye bleach print (Cibachrome™)

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 22.9 x 43.8 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 9 1/2 x 17 1/4 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 19 x 24 in

Credit line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Franklin D. Murphy

Accession number: 1983.0012.19

Not on display

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Healing, Knowing, Seeing the Body

Chromotherapy, which involves directing colored light at afflicted areas of the human body to cure disease, has roots in ancient Egypt and China. The practice was introduced in the United States in the 19th century as an alternative to Western medicine’s often aggressive and invasive methods. After a surgical procedure, and influenced by his close attention to color in his photography practice, Nagatani was drawn to chromotherapy treatment and pursued extensive research to learn more. In this work, he engages the ongoing debates between the supposedly objective science of Western medicine and the pseudoscience surrounding alternative healing practices such as chromotherapy.

Healing, Knowing, Seeing the Body