Exhibition: Close to the Bone

Close to the Bone is a series of black and white photographs which document the journeys through bone cancer of four patients, photographed over a two year period by Caroline Seymour, before, during and after surgery.

Be aware this exhibition contains graphic images of surgery.

Bone cancer, or sarcoma, is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that affects 5,300 people a year in the UK. Close to the Bone is a series of powerful black and white photographs which document the experience of four patients (Gabor, Jessica, Vincent and Christine) with sarcoma, before, during and after surgery.

A diagnosis of cancer is one of the hardest pieces of news anyone can hear. Literally life changing. It is the beginning of a long journey, for which the destination cannot be predicted. Whilst the types of treatment - chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy - may be similar for many patients, each person's response, how they are affected by each of the treatments, will be different. Cancer infiltrates, not just bone and tissue, but the lives of patients and their families.

Caroline Seymour's photographs show rarely seen aspects of these journeys. In particular, the one part the patient can never consciously witness - the hidden world of the operating theatre, where surgical teams work with extraordinary focus, dedication and skill.