Category: The Cell

And in the last quarter we find a single Golgi apparatus. The only of the four organelles that does not appear in the other quadrants. As if working away on its corner. The less bright colours do not manage to make it look unimportant.

The vacuoles concentrate and contrast with the more complex organelles. Their complexity is not based in their structure (simple bubbles) but it is suggested by the mixing colours of their contents.

In this quarter, the endothelial reticulum covers most of the area, part of it rough with ribosomes. It is the organelle that gives the cell a continuity and the nucleus its central prominence in the composition.

This is part 1 of a 4 parts theme, the classical organelle. The four pieces form a whole ‘cell’ quartered. In each quarter one organelle takes priority: mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, vacuoles and Golgi apparatus. This theme, and a few of its variations were developed for Art Meets Science 2014, MDI Biological Laboratory, Maine, USA.

I like the rationale for the exhibition, from their website:

“Creativity, innovation, and inspiration are a big part of what we do. You can’t tackle complex human health problems like why we age or get certain diseases without looking from different perspectives and finding new approaches. Scientists do that and so do artists. That’s why we launched Art Meets Science.”

Kevin Strange, MDI Biological Laboratory President

A moment in time inside a eukaryotic cell. Complex and beautiful, full of action and life. The fluidity of the cytoplasm, the different levels of activity of mitochondria and the communication between endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria are the highlights of this very large work (1.2 m square).