I finally made my way to the Wellcome collection today to see the Being Human Gallery. The artworks on display here were incredible and some were inspiring for my work, particularly that of Tamsin van Essen’s medical heirlooms – how she reflects the different health conditions on the surface of these different vases, this could be a way to use texture for my work except on the wall.
The minion Gene Sequencer which is a commercially available product used by the NHS hospitals to identify viruses and bacteria from their genetic material which means that patients can receive the right treatment quicker. I liked this piece because it is using technology to benefit health and reveal the unseen in different ways, but I feel it relates to the direction my work is going in.
I have previously mentioned Rogan Brown for his incredible work but I finally was able to see one of his pieces in the flesh. Magic Circle Variation is the work pictured and it was amazing for me to see it up close in person. The intricate detail from these layered paper cuttings made me think that maybe rather than sticking things on to a wall to create texture I could use layering to achieve this.
This black and white video piece titled The Evolution of Bacteria on a ‘Mega Plate’ Petri Dish which shows Ecoli bacteria developing antibiotic resistance is very relevant to my work in that I am trying to raise awareness for these unseen microorganisms which are gradually and increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics. I really enjoy the monochromatic aesthetic of the video as it makes it seem more clinical which is in itself contradictory since clinical environments are usually supposed to be disinfected and clean, whereas here there is literally a giant petri dish full of a harmful bacteria. I also enjoy the time-lapse of the growth documentation since I previously mentioned that I should document the growth process better.
Overall I feel like this visit to the Wellcome was highly beneficial to my work and where it could possibly go in the future.
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