Trauma can have effects that extend far beyond the moment an event occurs. For some people, those effects include dissociation — a disruption in the sense of connection to one’s surroundings, memories, emotions or even sense of self.

These experiences can be profound but not always visible to the people around them. Someone may appear calm or continue moving through daily life while struggling internally.

Artist and former orthopedic surgeon Brian A. McCarty, MD ‘95, explores that divide in Dissociation, a sculpture inspired by the experience of watching a close family member live with chronic complex post-traumatic stress and recurring dissociative episodes. Dr. McCarty carved the original work from Carrara marble in 2020, later translating the piece into a series of bronze sculptures.

Flowing lines travel around the sculpture, representing the energy and interconnected experiences that make up a life. Cutting across them is what the artist calls a “counter line,” the visual representation of dissociation.

“There’s an abstract face at the top of the work that’s relatively placid, hiding the turmoil going on below,” Dr. McCarty says. “The beautiful energy lines and swirls that move around the piece represent the beauty we all experience. Dissociation disrupts the harmony of it.”

For Dr. McCarty, that contrast reflects something he has witnessed beyond the sculpture: people can carry significant pain without showing it outwardly.

“There are a lot of people who you know or who you think you know are going through difficult things,” he says. “They’re getting through their day fine. They’re acting like everything’s fine, but things are difficult.”

The work also brings together two disciplines that have shaped Dr. McCarty’s life: medicine and art. He practiced orthopedic surgery for approximately 25 years before devoting himself to art full time. His father served for many years as chair of MCW’s Department of Medicine, and Dr. McCarty says his medical education at MCW prepared him exceptionally well for his surgical career.

Medicine and sculpture may seem like dramatically different pursuits, but Dr. McCarty sees a natural connection between them. His earliest sculptures drew directly from anatomy—including a study of the inside of the knee— and the three-dimensional thinking and hand-eye coordination he developed through surgery translated naturally to carving stone.

The themes in Dissociation also resonate with MCW’s broader work in trauma recovery. That includes its new Trauma Recovery Center in Bronzeville, where survivors of violence can receive trauma-focused mental health care alongside case management and support navigating other barriers to recovery.

Dissociation
Carrara marble and bronze

Artwork and soundtrack: Brian A. McCarty
Written piece: Meisi Li
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Note: The sculptures can be viewed in a temporary exhibit outside the MCW cafeteria until early October.