GFP Caviar!
‘Futurenatural’ Above microscopic Still life with “GFP Caviar”, agar on fossilized wood 2015
This Summer I am a resident artist at the “School of Visual Arts Bio-Art Residency Summer 2015”, taught by Suzanne Anker in her magical lab which combines art and science… literally a ‘candy shop’ for BioArtists.
I was inspired and created a new invention! “GFP Caviar” which combines molecular cuisine ‘pearls’ infused with green fluorescent protein from a jellyfish. This protein is commonly used in medical applications to trace cancer cells etc. many artists such as Edward Kay have used it in various ways but I highly doubt it has ever been mixed with molecular grade food agar. I got the idea to use the food agar because the green fluorescent protein is cultured in a bacterial broth, which needs something to “feed” off of, or it will die. Artists typically use petri dishes filled with sterile agar substituting the agar in the petri dish with molecular grade food cuisine was a stretch I had no idea if it would work or not. When I shined my UV flashlight on it for the first time I was thrilled it glowed!
Perfect for my new series Futurenatural… see below for recipe and microscopic still lives.
Some of the images I created will be featured in my solo show at Tatiana Pages gallery this fall , “Futurenatural-Supernatural which is inspired by the concept of re-evolution and imagines life in the distant future as lush and ethereal.”
Recipe:
..
1. Brew up some Green Fluorescent Protein in bacterial broth comes in 4 colors green, blue, yellow and red
2. Mix with Molecular Cuisine food agar
3. Drop with pipet into gently into water & strain
These tiny bioluminescent orbs glow under a black light like tiny eggs from a future universe…
‘Futurenatural’ Above microscopic Still life with “GFP Caviar”, agar on fossilized wood 2015
‘Futurenatural’ Above microscopic Still life with “GFP Caviar”, agar on fossilized wood 2015