Ashley Davidoff is Clinical Professor of Radiology at Boston Medical Center and an artist. His lifetime project, The Common Vein, explores the common principles that underlie biology and all human endeavors.  The underlying theme and inspiration is that in biology the whole is miraculously bigger than the component parts (aka units to unity) which is the common theme that drives science, biology and human endeavors.

This online resource incorporates art, images, and imagery to educate and integrate the arts with medical education. The works are eclectic and include medically related art, painting, photography, sculpture and even gardening.   Portions have been presented at national radiology conferences.
Website: thecommonvein.net
Contact: ashley.davidoff@bmc.org

The Inspiration

The Building of All Units in the Universe
Units to Unity

AKA

1 + 1 = 1
The equation 1 + 1 = 1 does not make intuitive sense, though it communicates a crucial tenet of The Common Vein. The component numbers in the left side of the equation, could represent the letters of the alphabet, a musical note, a brushstroke of a painting, the components of an equation, or the atom of the universe. It is the equation that is used most commonly in The Common Vein, and is applicable in many situations of life. The end result (right side of the equation) provides an illogical, unexpected, surprising and sometimes even magical result. It implies that whole is a unified bigger than the sum of its parts. “Units to unity” reflects the same concept
Ashley Davidoff MD

Art and Social Responsibility

Radiology Depends on Black and White
In radiology we need the black and the white and all the shades in between in order for us to understand and interpret the image. Without them all there is nothing.
Ashley Davidoff
Introspection An honest look at what we need to do to preserve our earth and our heaven
Cigarettes – The potential devastating effects on society of advertisements.
Ashley Davidoff
Kick the Habit in the Butt
COVID 19
WE NEED TO DO BETTER
The Story of the Orange Packet
Kick the Habit or Kick the Bucket
by Ashley Davidoff

Art  and Radiology

The Tree and the Tracheobronchial Tree
The Carotids
Acute Cholecystitis
The Pancreas
HANDS – SOFT AND HARD – GIVING AND RECEIVING Its the time of year when old stuff from classrooms is being thrown out .. and I found the first piece in the dumpster while walking Benji and instead of it being lost forever it has been preserved! yay – and the parallel with the Xray art piece is remarkable. I loved the top hand in both pieces acting as the giving hand, others reaching to receive, and yet others now giving themselves .. … and the rippling effect one act can have on many! As my brother Baruch wrote in his weekly devar “Tzedakah … provides a sense of the DYNAMIC MOVEMENTS which it causes between the body, the Heart, the Soul and Hashem”.
September 09 2016
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The Light of Giving and Receiving
From the series “Art of the Anatomy of the Hand”
Dedicated to the Free Museums ArouNd and In US
Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
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Dancers
The middle dancer is a regular X-ray of the hand turned on its “toes” to look like a dancer. The surrounding costumed hands celebrate life and a hope for sanity in the world
From the series “Art of the Anatomy of the Hand”
Dedicated to the Free Museums ArouNd and In US
Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
August 25th 2019
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Many Hands Make Light Work
The Reason for Group Prayer and the Minyan
From the series “Art of the Anatomy of the Hand”
Dedicated to the Free Museums ArouNd and In US
Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
August 30th 2019
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Stroke
Copyright Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
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Flameno Dancers
Copyright Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
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ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK
From the series “Art of the Anatomy of the Hand”
Dedicated to the Free Museums ArouNd and In US
Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
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“Have You Seen My Lunate Bone Mon?” said the hand to the moon over Jamaican Skies…. “if not I have a bone to pick with you!”
The lunate bone is a moon shaped bone in the proximal row of metacarpal bones in the wrist
Feet of Many Colors
The Blue Bird of Happiness
Rudolph in the Liver

 

Romance of Creatures in the Chest
Sea Anemones and Ascites
Hydrosalpinx and the Swan
Winter
From the series “Art of the Anatomy of the Hand”
Dedicated to the Free Museums ArouNd and In US
Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
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Moon and Finger Trees
From the series “Art of the Anatomy of the Hand”
Dedicated to the Free Museums ArouNd and In US
Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
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First snowstorm of the winter here in Boston – Chilled to the bone – both physically and emotionally. Time to sit by the fire.. Ask of myself- How can I help prevent senseless killing and terror? How can I help innocent defenceless civilians from knife and gun attacks? Should we not respect life as the first and primary human right?
december 29th 2015
hands – 004
Copyright Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
Faces of the Hand
Copyright Ashley Davidoff MD 2019
Chest X-ray Dance
Ashley Davidoff
Dance of the Aortas
Ashley Davidoff
Aortas Rocking and Rolling
Ashley Davidoff
Hora at the Wedding
Ashley Davidoff
Scoliosis Dance
Ashley Davidoff
Rock Around the Clock
Ashley Davidoff

Art and Medical Education

The Organs and the Body Units to Unity
From the cell to the tissue, organ system and finally the body
From Cell to Soul
From the Proton to the Universe
Metabolic Workhorse of the Body
Cerebral Circulation

 

The C Rings of the Brain

 

Semen and the Prostate Gland
Bubble Bubble Toil and Trouble in the Prostate Gland

 

Art of the Heart

See The Common Vein on Medical Art

 

Painting

 

PARENTS AND DAUGHTER

Beyond the Dance 
 

Sculptures

The Choir – One Voice Many People – Units to Unity
An Old Couple
Ashley Davidoff
Woman
stone marble and mineral

 

See More Sculptures on The Common Vein

 

Garden with Sculptures

Sculptures and the Garden – Units to Unity
Garden in the Fall Designing to bring it all together – Units to Unity

Also See

  • Creative Photography

    • A Couple taking a Walk at Night
      Created from a coffee stain on the floor
      Ashley Davidoff

      Walking to work I found a small coffee stain on the floor Used my cell phone to capture and then tried several techniques including darkening the edges, changing the saturation and contrast to bring out the deeper stains, which then gave body to the heads. I then inverted the colors – really liked the blue hue, but decided to reapply the hue to give the brown color back to the figures
      Ashley Davidoff

See Also

 

Related Links

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