Artists Reimagine Prosthetics Beyond Metaphor in Posthuman Discourse

Artists examining the posthuman experience and disability often center their work around prosthetics. In her series caryatid (2024), Mari Katayama incorporates prosthetic legs to challenge exclusionary ideals, drawing inspiration from classical architecture. Her earlier piece, shell/beast (2016), interprets ornamentation as part of anatomy. Park McArthur's works, such as Ramps (2014) and her upcoming exhibition Twice in 2024, address access issues by treating medical devices as social infrastructure. Meanwhile, Jesse Darling's sculptures, including Saint Jerome in the wilderness (2018) and Grandad I (Ploughman John) (2023), illustrate the themes of worn-out supports and inadequate infrastructure. These artists engage with Donna Haraway's 'A Cyborg Manifesto,' reframing prosthetics as expressions of agency and challenging the idea of a 'complete' body.