RESONANCES

A new exhibition pairs paintings by Indigenous Australian artists with microscopic images captured by scientists. The parallels are intriguing....

By Roger Wepf

Source: The Conversation
19 OCT 2018 - 4:24 PM UPDATED 19 OCT 2018 - 4:24 PM

Rich visual parallels between Indigenous artworks and microscopic natural structures hidden in the world around us reveal unexpected and intriguing similarities that can deepen our respect for our country and its stories.

A new touring exhibition in Sydney, bringing microscopy and Indigenous art together, explores these images, which pass on knowledge and shape our understanding of the world. Their resonances derive from the similar perspectives of the imagery, and symmetries hidden in nature.

The microscopic images (known as micrographs) were captured on transmission electron microscopes, which create enlarged projections of a thin, sample slice and reveal a flat, top-down image, similar to many of the artworks. Another similarity comes from the natural forms and patterns found at the microscopic, landscape and cosmic scale....

ORIGINAL ARTICLE