This series was funded by a King Creativity Grant and was awarded the Walter Milton Potter Prize for best in show.
The art exhibition Muskara et al. (2020) presents a body of work that blurs the division between the fields of art and science. Comprised of large realistic and minimalist-inspired paintings aimed at amplifying the molecular components of objects, this series questions the connections between scientific exploration and the expressive, conceptual aims of art. Whereas the work in this series appears to be created with traditional painting materials, foreign matter was incorporated into the paint, which calls into question the meaning of the pieces presented. For example, the painting Pomacea maculata physically contains copper sulfate pentahydrate which is a substance that in reality kills the very object represented in the painting, the apple snail. Artworks like the diptych Pomacea maculata and Copper sulfate aim to question concepts of what is “real” (copper sulfate, paint, canvas) versus “illusionistic” (centuries of art mimetic traditions) versus “abstract” (the abstract shortcuts the sciences use to demonstrate concepts like chemical structures) to ignite conversations between the fields of art and science.
This series is currently on exhibition at Southwestern University’s Fondren-Jones Science Hall.
Shared Genetics, Oil and hair on linen, 2019, 24” x 36”
Pomacea maculata, Oil and copper sulfate pentahydrate on linen, 2020, 41” x 47”
Copper sulfate, Oil and Pomacea maculata shell on four panels of linen, 2020, 47” x 160”
Methane´s Cloud, Oil on linen, 2020, 41” x 47”
Hydrogen Bonding, Oil on linen, 2019, 29.5” x 20.5”
Spiraling CO2, Oil on linen, 2019, 29.5” x 20.5”
Double Helix Constellation, Ink on paper, 2020, 12” x 9”
Electron Cloud, Ink on paper, 2020, 12” x 9”
Minimal H20, Ink and marker on chipboard, 2020, 11” x 8.5”
Urea, Ink and marker on chipboard, 2020, 11” x 8.5”
Minimal CO2, Ink and marker on chipboard, 2020, 11” x 8.5”
Water, Ink and marker on chipboard, 2020, 11” x 8.5”