Author Interview & #Giveaway: Craniofacial Anatomy and Forensic Identification by Gloria Nusse

Archaeolibrarian
10 hours ago
5 min read

Book Details:

Genre: Non-Fiction, True Crime,

Published by: Academic Press

Publication Date: October 13, 2022

Number of Pages: 302

ISBN: 9780128092880 (ISBN10: 0128092882)

Audience: Forensic Anthropologists, Forensic Artists, Medico-legal Professionals, Forensic Scientists. Graduate Students, Law Enforcement Agencies, and Legal Professionals. Anyone Working In The Field Of Facial Imaging.

@ElsevierConnect @partnersincrimevbt

@ElsevierConnect @partnersincrimevbt

#NonFiction, #TrueCrime,

Our bodies record what happens to us physically throughout our lives. This is illustrated by the simple appearance of scars from injuries sustained years, and even decades ago. Evidence such as scars also tells us how we used our joints or may have injured them as children and adults. Our bodies conform to the environment in which we live, both outside and inside. By examining and observing these key clues, a forensic investigator can reveal the unique character that tells the story of a person's life and death.

Craniofacial Anatomy and Forensic Identification is an atlas that covers all aspects of facial reconstruction and anatomy of the head and neck, such as facial expression and the anatomic basis for facial development, along with the effects of muscle movement. Written by a world-renowned forensic artist with decades of experience as a scientific illustrator as well as a portraitist, anthropologist, and lecturer in anatomy and biology, the author is as much a scientist as an artist.

Comprehensively addresses the history of facial reconstruction, facial development, muscle movements, and bone physiology used by forensic artists and forensic anthropologists
Demonstrates techniques in mold making and sculpting to bring the body to life
Includes images from cadaver labs and recent case studies
Provides detailed anatomy of vessels and nerves found in the face including the eyes
Details the muscles, ligaments and tissues down to the skull
Describes the changing face as it ages

Bookshop.org | StoryGraph | Goodreads | Smashbomb | BookBub

What first inspired you to bring together your work in art, anatomy, and forensic science into a single comprehensive atlas?

Even in high school I loved science but I had an ”art monkey” on my back driving me to create art. Then in college I discovered scientific illustration. My anatomy teacher gave me several dead and dissected cats that I spent many hours drawing. Also preserved birds in the Ecology lab. I was required to take 36 units of anatomical ( life) drawing to graduate with a Fine Art degree, but my love was in the biology lab with the cats and the birds. That just kept growing into working on exhibits for the California Academy of Sciences, and many other museums in this country and Mexico including the Smithsonian in Washington DC.

Facial reconstruction is both science and interpretation. How do you strike the right balance between anatomical data and artistic judgment?

Striking the balance between science and art is not easy. I think the many years I spent interpreting the natural world, whether the tidal zone of the ocean, elephant seals on the beach or microscopic animals, have given me a skill to not try to make things perfect. Instead, to make things look natural. Even my brief foray into working on costumes for the San Francisco Opera and American Conservative Theatre in my early time in San Francisco taught me to know how to make clothing look real and worn. We called it distressing, or how to make a beautifully crafted wool suit look like the character had slept in it for months. It is about observation, really and not letting my artistic side override reality.

Mould making and sculpting techniques feature prominently in your work. What role do traditional hands-on methods still play in an increasingly digital field?

I was the president of the Guild on Natural Science Illustrators in 1999-2000. At that time, we worried about the coming of Photoshop and other digital platforms ruining the need for drawing skills and artistic interpretation. It did change that skill but it did not destroy it. There is still the need for artist to interpret of the world. The digital tools of the computer are still only tools. It takes the artist to use those tools to interpret reality and to use them effectively.

As technology evolves—3D imaging, AI modelling, digital sculpting—how do you see these tools changing the field of forensic facial reconstruction?

3-D printing is still only as good as the operator behind the scanner and the way the skull is printed and used afterwards. True mold making with silicone gives better fidelity because it captures more small and subtle detail, such as the hairline. The silicone can even capture a fingerprint.

You’ve taught and lectured widely. What skills or habits do you encourage in students or practitioners entering the field today?

I encourage students to fall in love with their studies. To learn everything, they can about this subject, not just a class or two. But to read widely, look carefully and to keep themselves in check so their own ego or personality does not take over. There are operators in this filed who create subpar work because of this.

The process of reconstruction often carries emotional weight. How do you balance scientific objectivity with the human stories behind each face?

When I sit down to analyze a skull and a case, I recognize the emotional weight of this. I understand that I may be the last chance for someone to be identified. It is not about me.

It is about the person who has died. I do all I can in my power to recreate them as they lived. Their hair, their clothing, the era of their death. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I also realize that everything I do for them is positive. I keep this positive focus in the front of any sadness I feel for their death. They may have died tragically but my work is to bring them to a positive conclusion.

Gloria Nusse is a forensic artist, anatomist and anthropologist. She has aided in identification of unidentified remains and return 14 plus persons to their families. As well she has recreated the faces of ancient peoples of the Middle East, as well as recreations of the crystal skull for National Geographic among others. Her work has been featured on 48 Hours, Forensic Files, Dateline, National Geographic specials, Unsolved History and others. She worked as a scientific artist for over 35 years and has taught human dissection and anatomy at San Francisco State University for 12 years. ( currently Emeritus)

She has authored and co-authored several journal articles and chapters for various publications. She was the invited speaker for the Chalmers Historical Address for the Association of Oral and Maxillary surgeons meeting in 2013.

As well she has taught many workshops for professionals, including the FBI.