cast resin, LED's
169'x42'x40'
2010
55 giant bacteria float across the ceiling and through the windows of The School of Medicine. Visible from both the interior and exterior of the building, these bacteria are truly inspired.
The artwork floating in the atrium is based on the Earth's oldest and most plentiful life form: bacteria. Inspired by the beauty and complexity of the microscopic universe, the piece enables us to see what is normally visible only to microbiologists and other specialists through magnification. The Unseen World is an interpretive representation of the ecosystems all around us and inside us -- imperceptible to the unaided human eye.
The sculptures are based on electron-microscope studies of the anatomy of bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Salmonella, just to name a few. Cast in an ecologically-friendly opaline resin with a blend of crushed mica, these fantastic forms are intended to awaken a sense of wonder and curiosity in people of all ages. Under a microscope is an unseen world beckoning us to leave behind what we think we know, and to explore.