Aksel Stasny

Website: http://www.akselstasny.com

Acute Dermatographic Uriticaria

“Fleisch V” 20” x 26” Digital C-Print 2008

Biography of Aksel Stasny

Aksel Stasny grew up in Austria surrounded by the art of the country and his father, well known photographer Horst Stasny.

Aksel worked for production companies and photographers throughout Vienna before studying Film and Theatre Science at the University of Vienna. Upon graduating The New York Film Academy, Aksel he became personal student of Director Vojtech Jasny and began working with Bayard Studios in Brooklyn as a Director and Director of Photography.

This body of work was produced in Austria with an artistic collaborator who suffered from Acute Dermatographic Urticaria or severe/abnormal sensitivity and welting of the skin. In this project the subject has been ordered to draw a map of the internal organs of the body, on his body with a screw driver. The resulting scars lasted for almost a week and burned as if there were a chemical reaction occurring on the skin.

Images

“Fleisch II” 20” x 26” Digital C-Print

The symptoms are thought to be caused by mast cells in the surface of the skin releasing histamines without the presence of antigens, due to the presence of a weak membrane surrounding the mast cells. The histamines released cause the skin to swell in the affected areas. This weak membrane easily and rapidly breaks down under physical pressure causing an allergic-like reaction, generally a red weal(welt) to appear on the skin. It can often be confused with an allergic reaction to the object causing a scratch, when in fact it is the act of being scratched that causes a weal to appear. These welts are a subset of urticaria (hives) that appear within minutes, accompanied by a sensation of burning, and itchiness. The first outbreak of urticaria can lead to others on body parts not directly stimulated, scraped or scratched. In a normal case the swelling will reduce itself with no treatment within 15–30 minutes, but in extreme cases, itchy red welts may last anywhere from a few hours to days. It has been reported that artist with dermatographism tend to experiment with their skin as a medium.

“Fleisch IV” 20” x 26” Digital C-Print

Symptoms can be induced by stress, tight or abrasive clothing, watches, glasses, energetic kissing, heat, cold, or anything that causes stress to the skin or the patient. In many cases it is merely a minor annoyance, but in some rare cases symptoms are severe enough to impact a patient's life. The underlying cause of dermographism is not known, and can last for many years without relief. 95% of chronic cases are never solved. Sometimes the condition goes away, sometimes it stays forever. It is not a life threatening disease and is not contagious.

“Fleisch I” 20 “ x 26” Digital C-Print

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs have long been used to treat urticaria in the Asian world. Results of clinical trials of both acupuncture and Chinese herbs are numerous and suggest a potential remedy for acute urticaria but these are far from conclusive and possibly a result of the placebo effect, as they did not provide a control group.