Double vision: photography and medicine

Susan Menning

Sometimes a single word can have different meanings to different

people. This week at UC Irvine, that word is “vision.”

As we near the end of the academic year, I’d like to share two

perspectives on vision that may interest you. One comes from behind a

camera; the other may improve your eyesight.

When UCI studio art professor and photographer Connie Samaras

turned her creative eye to the stark surroundings at the South Pole,

she suspected conditions would be harsh and strenuous. She was right.

During a visit to the Antarctic late last year, the minus

50-degree weather and piercing winds cracked the skin on her fingers

so badly she had to Superglue the wounds together each night to help

them heal. Her equipment suffered too; her cameras only functioned

outdoors for about 20 minutes at a time.

Still Samaras came away with nearly 500 evocative images for her

project, “Vast Active Living Intelligence System: Photographing the

South Pole.” She will show her work and discuss the adventure at

11:30 a.m. Wednesday at UCI’s University Club.

Samaras’ visit to the icy plains of the Antarctic was funded by a

rare grant from the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists

and Writers Program, which encourages artists and writers to

contribute toward a better understanding of the Antarctic. An

internationally known artist, Samaras’ intention was to capture how

life-supporting South Pole architecture intersects with a frozen,

dramatic and timeless landscape. In addition to weather-related

challenges, there were creative challenges.

The Antarctic has been so frequently photographed that Samaras had

to be particularly thoughtful and selective in choosing her pictures.

“It took me a while to quiet down and not look to the obviously

dramatic,” she says. She also had to free her mind of misconceptions.

“The science station at South Pole -- the dome -- has been

photographed so much that most people, including me, already have a

vivid mental picture before setting foot there. I wasn’t prepared for

the quality of light in the dome or the eerie feeling of standing in

a space that feels simultaneously as if it were inside and outside.”

Few of Samaras’ pictures have people in them. Some of her shots

are from under the new station looking up -- a vantage point that she

says makes the station look like a cross between the Starship

Enterprise and LAX. In some pictures, the snow and ice blend into the

structures themselves.

While her exhibit won’t be ready until next year, the community

can hear Samaras and see a selection of photos at tomorrow’s luncheon

and forum. Cost is $10.25; call (949) 824-7960 for reservations.

EYE DOCS EXTRAORDINARE AT UCI

Vision also is an important issue at the UCI School of Medicine,

where the Department of Ophthalmology boasts some of the nation’s

most highly regarded eye doctors at the Gottschalk Medical Plaza on

campus.

The plaza’s newest offering is the Laser Refractive Surgery

Center, featuring the latest high-tech developments in

wavefront-guided technology, which allows customized treatments for

problems from near- and far-sightedness to astigmatism.

The center is run by Dr. Roger Steinert, who came to UCI last year

from Harvard Medical School, where he helped pioneer a number of

laser surgery techniques and technologies to improve vision.

Steinert, in fact, conducted some of the first trials on the popular

Lasik procedure.

“UCI now offers state-of-the-art, all-laser custom Lasik,” says

Steinert, who was recently named president of the American Society of

Cataract and Refractive Surgery. “First, a scanning laser creates the

corneal flap, so there is no cutting blade. Second, the corrective

laser treatment is customized to the optics of each eye -- as unique

as a fingerprint,” he says. “Accuracy and safety have never been

higher.”

As part of his research activities, Steinert is making great

strides with the use of lasers for intricate eye surgery. He and his

UCI colleagues recently invented a new laser-surgery technique for

corneal transplants that can replace hand-held surgical blades and

potentially improve recovery time for patients.

To better pursue innovative research and offer cutting-edge care,

the Department of Ophthalmology is currently planning construction of

the UCI Eye Institute, which will be dedicated to providing

state-of-the-art surgical and medical eye care -- a first in Orange

County. The Laser Refractive Surgery Center in Gottschalk Plaza is an

initial step in this direction.

For more information, call: (949) 824-2020.

* SUSAN MENNING is assistant vice chancellor of communications at

UC Irvine. She can be reached at uciconnect@uci.edu.