BODY FONT
The Project:
This project explores the concept of how each individual’s unique bacterial composition defines them on a microscopic level. It examines how these relationships can be visualised and interpreted through various mediums and methods, focusing on the ideas that “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” The study delves into how our bacterial makeup influences our every day life and affects every part of our senses and how everything we can’t see makes us who we are as an individual, made up of a billion minute communities.
Check out the rest of the project below
Rationale:
To represent personal microbiology, I used my own photography of models who volunteered for swab samples. These samples were used to develop shapes and patterns. In collaboration with the microbiology labs at UWE Frenchay, I underwent extensive safety training and passed numerous tests and procedures to conduct this research independently in a microbiology lab. The project was reviewed and approved by the Board of Ethics to ensure it was both legal and safe, considering the potential dangers of cultivating harmful microorganisms.
Each model's swab sample was cultivated, photographed at x10,000 magnification using a photographic microscope, and then projected back onto the models, emphasising the idea that Just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The development of the letterforms mirrored the growth process, evolving from light to regular to bold.
The outcome was exceptional. Despite a minor incident where a small amount of tuberculosis was accidentally grown and promptly disposed of safely, the rest of the project proceeded smoothly. The final book was meticulously crafted, placed in a bio bag within a handmade and stitched glass container. Additionally, the project was printed at A0 size to showcase the intricate details of the microbial world in stunning clarity.
