Carter uses abstracted drawing as a means of investigation into the shifting concepts of the human body and personal identity. In Untitled (with Abstract Paintings) 2007 #6, Carter presents a field of blob-like specimens, each self-contained like Petri dishes nurturing biological mutation. Using his own features as a control for experimentation, Carter’s panel shows subtle variations of the same forms, his abject and non-descript shapes converge as a catalogue of physical possibilities: eyes, lips, noses, and hairstyles float as disembodied samples for facial alteration, while geometric patterns clinically emerge as cell structures, globular tissue, or rough landscapes ripe for cultivation. Through his detached bodies, Carter’s work provokes the fragile concept of the personal, reflecting the horror of a biodegradable self.