Charleston–born, New York City–based artist Landon Carter said he sees his mission as an artist to connect people and show that we are not alone in our emotions.
It’s fitting, then, that he was commissioned by MUSC’s Arts in Healing program to create three new art installations to be hung in MUSC’s new cancer treatment building, the Robert K. Stuart, M.D., Blood and Marrow Transplant Center at Ashley River Tower, which was unveiled in August.
The first part of Carter’s three-part project is on view now, with the rest to be revealed later this fall.
Founded in 2018, MUSC Arts in Healing aims to provide access to the healing powers of the arts. One part of its diverse programming is the MUSC Art Collection, which includes a mix of sculptures, paintings, photography, quilts, sweetgrass baskets and more from S.C. artists.
Mat Duncan, curator for the Arts in Healing program at MUSC, said the collection enhances patient care through the “transformative power of art.”
“Our program is focused on purchasing artwork from talented local artists within the communities we serve,” Duncan said. “By integrating these pieces into our facilities, we aim to create therapeutic environments that foster hope, comfort, and well-being for our patients, their families and our dedicated staff.
“We are thrilled to feature Landon’s work as the centerpiece of the new Robert K. Stuart, M.D., Blood and Marrow Transplant Center. His beautiful, complex oil paintings, coupled with his profound personal connection to MUSC, will offer solace and inspiration to our patients and their families as they navigate the challenges of treatment.”
Carter’s new work, “Ripple”
The first of Carter’s three installations, titled “Ripple,” is on view at MUSC now, a 5-foot-by-7-foot artwork inspired by Carter’s own experience of losing his mother to cancer.
“I am so honored to be able to create artwork that will give a moment of comfort to patients and their families,” Carter said. “This project brings my life full-circle, as my mom was originally treated for cancer at MUSC all the way back in 1999.”
Carter first became involved with MUSC Arts in Healing when he was selected as part of the very first cohort of Redux Contemporary Art Center’s Lightning Residency program at the end of 2022.
“During that time, I worked with MUSC’s Bridges of Hope and Redux to host a one-day art camp for kids who lost a parent. We did various art activities aimed at helping teach kids self-expression.” In the spring of 2024, MUSC reached out to Carter to commission this project.
Carter makes resin-based artworks that are a sort of marriage between painting and sculpture: He creates using layers upon layers of resin and acrylic paint, resulting in a stunning 3-dimensional effect.
“Ripple” is made up of overlapping panels which depict sunlight on rippling water, a leaf floating in the marsh, two kids playing in the sand and looking towards the horizon. The work takes on a poetic quality when considering its context.
“Originally, I had a lot more figures in these works,” Carter said. “But I was reminded that people are kind of dealing with their mortality here, so I wanted each image to cause a ripple and connect to the piece next to it. I think it speaks to someone’s presence still lingering after they’re gone.”
Carter also took inspiration from the aesthetics of the Charleston Renaissance, he said, (a period between World Wars I and II in which the city experienced a boom in the arts), firmly placing these landscape-inspired paintings in the Lowcountry.
“I dove into the art history of Charleston for this piece, specifically the Charleston Renaissance, because I was inspired by the way these artists sought to bring beauty back to the city after it had been destroyed in the Civil War.
“I wanted to kind of transmit that energy into these paintings (and talk about) beauty and presence.”
Stay up to date with Carter’s installation at MUSC and learn more about his work by following @landoncarterart on Instagram. Learn more about Arts in Healing at MUSCHealth.org/arts.
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