Scarred for Life

Scars can be a constant reminder of some of the most painful and embarrassing experiences that many people would be reluctant to share. But for artist Ted Meyer, the scars on a person's body can also provide an honest medium for storytelling and art.

In a riveting series of paintings, Meyer dabs paint over the scars of subjects who have experienced a period of grief, disbelief, and acceptance. These mono-prints reveal the stories of people who have received battle scars, mastectomies, bullet wounds, and amputations. Meyer uses these powerful paintings to create a beautiful art form embracing and recognizing injuries that are often overlooked by others.

Meyer was born with Gaucher's disease, a rare genetic disorder that causes pain and deterioration of the joints and organs, as writerMeher McArthur from KCET's Artbound writes. Meyer began documenting his own painful condition through art. After a dramatic improvement to his physical well-being, Meyer decided to turn his isolated art project into a collective, shared experience.

Since then, he has expanded his artistic mantra to include the stories of others who have gone through similar experiences.

"For me, the scars, they are stories. Everybody has their story," said Meyer. "So the scar represents the absolute second where someone's life changed...How they look at themselves is different and sometimes how people look at them is different."

Featuring Interviews With:

• Ted Meyer, artist