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34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Birmingham City University
In the Eye of the Beholder / The Art of Iridescence
Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Evolution exhibition formed part of Darwin200 – a national programme of events that celebrated Charles Darwin, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. The work was commissioned by the Wellcome Trust as part of their portfolio of events for Darwin200. This was a solo exhibition, inspired by Darwin’s iconic description of the development of the eye, was developed and formed the centrepiece for public engagement activities in the Year of Darwin (2009). Subsequently extended, the work went on show again at the British Science Festival (2010) and also at the Darwin Festival, Shrewsbury (2011). The interrelated series of paintings exhibited draws on novel biomimetic materials and methods that mirror the process of evolution. Latest iridescent nano-particles and innovative casting techniques are employed to arrive at successively ‘modified’ variations of the ‘same’ painting.
The Erebus obscura series itself consists of 10 interrelated diptychs (mixed media on board and/or canvas). The works in question are of various sizes, ranging from 83x120 and 122x183 to 160x190. Four of the diptychs were created in 2009 and a further six added in 2010. Contextual panels and related web-content were developed in conjunction. In addition, 25 small paintings (A4-size) of butterfly wing sections, featuring a wide range of iridescent eyespots, were created in the run-up to the final larger-scale work.
Initially shown in Glasgow and Birmingham during 2009, an extended version of the exhibition entitled The Art of Iridescence was subsequently selected for inclusion in the 2010 British Science Festival held in Birmingham. The extended exhibition has since travelled to Darwin’s birth town, Shrewsbury, where it was shown in 2011 in conjunction with the city’s annual Darwin Festival.
