It is important for me to visit the site where the final outcome of the commission will be positioned, to get a feel for the environment it will sit in: next to a park, a thoroughfare for students and businesspeople, […]

It’s been a while since I was asked to do a large commission; the last one was meant to be a series of paintings of the disappearing light over the Hudson river from the freeway in Manhattan – of course […]

For all posts regarding my Immunotherapy and T-cell project with Oxford University researcher Anina Graedel with the Wellcome Trust, please go to: https://www.a-n.co.uk/blogs/gene-expression/

I was really pleased to discover this review of my collaboration with Annina: As part of a public engagement project at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, our Department offered one DPhil student the exciting opportunity to work together […]

I’ve been working on the first plate of the new series of engravings since Annina sent me a new microscopy file with more detail. I’m pleased that I’ve found a press large enough to print it on, at Spike Island, […]

Yesterday, Fusion Arts in Oxford hosted a day for scientists from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics to talk about their research to the local community – they made it accessible and fun. My children loved it. One made […]

It’s such a relief that almost all the plates worked well, on a technical level and on a visual level. Given that the microscopy image of the nuclei (the blue image my lightbox was based upon) reminded me of a […]

Thanks to Annina, the researcher I’m working with, the collaboration is inspiring. Here are some of her thoughts: It is fascinating to have the unique opportunity to see your own research through completely different eyes. The collaboration with Jonathan made […]

Printing went well yesterday. There is almost an alchemy when the image is released from the plate – when everything comes together, it’s a magical moment. I worked out which plates have mileage and which will be editioned, which will […]

This project started life as a printmaking project and the printmaking process informs the way I approach the subject matter of T-cells. When I look at the files of the T-cells, the details of the nucleus and the visual data, […]

I was initially struck by the beauty of Annina’s graphs used to analyse the characteristics of the thymic epithelial cells. Their beauty belies their function and cry out to be reappropriated. Annina Graedel: The graph underlying the video “AIRE” is […]

The first video based on the T-cell files is finished. I’ve applied the experimental approach developed for my paintings and prints to the way I create the videos. The process is time-consuming as the outcome is, in a way, materials […]

I am impressed how well scientists explain their research to those of us who don’t have a scientific background. I started a project a couple of years ago with the Oncology Department in Oxford and attended lots of events that […]

The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford University, held an event for artists and scientists last night – the project was officially launched before it tours.

I collected the latest version of the lightbox yesterday from the framer. I added two new layers of engraved perspex to add greater depth and it worked! With the mirror behind there appear to be 10 layers which create a […]

I visited the Abstract Expressionism show at the RA yesterday – it reminded me where my roots lie, but I’m sure as my practice has developed and evolved, I’m more keen to find order in chaos, actually I think I’m […]

I’ve been working on the videos using the files and data collected from Annina’s research, it’s work in progress. I intend to use the sounds from the lab: the centrifuge, tissue cutting machine and microscope to create the audio for […]

I have been very lucky to be paired with a scientist who explains her research well and involved me in each stage of analysing the microscopy images of the T-cells. The slide of the T-cell that I opted to base […]

I received back the light box from the framer yesterday, I was pleased that my idea worked and also that it looked striking. I had included three layers of plates, the same image engraved onto perspex lit from behind, and […]

The lightbox for the engraved perspex is almost finished – just a few tweaks before it is ready to show.