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    ‘Little Beasts’ Is a First-of-Its-Kind Museum Collaboration Reveling in Art and the Natural World

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    Jacopo Ligozzi, “A Groundhog or Marmot with a Branch of Plums”. (1605), brush with brown and black wash, point of the brush with black and brown ink and white gouache, and watercolor, over traces of graphite on burnished paper, sheet: 13 x 16 5/8 inches. All images courtesy of The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., shared with permission

    ‘Little Beasts’ Is a First-of-Its-Kind Museum Collaboration Reveling in Art and the Natural World

    March 21, 2025

    ArtHistoryNatureScience

    Kate Mothes

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    During the 16th and 17th centuries, major developments in colonial expansion, trade, and scientific technology spurred a fervor for studying the natural world. Previously unknown or overlooked species were documented with unprecedented precision, and artists captured countless varieties of flora and fauna in paintings, prints, and encyclopedic volumes.

    Marking a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World pairs nearly 75 prints, drawings, and paintings with around 60 objects from the NMNH collection.

    Jan van Kessel the Elder, “Insects and a Sprig of Rosemary” (1653), oil on panel, 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches

    “In major cities like Antwerp, artists such as Joris and Jacob Hoefnagel and Jan van Kessel created highly detailed drawings, prints, and paintings of these insects, animals, and other beestjes, or ‘little beasts’ in Dutch,” says the National Gallery of Art. “Their works inspired generations of artists and naturalists, fueling the burgeoning science of natural history.”

    Natural history has been a focus for scholars since ancient times, albeit early commentary was a bit more wide-ranging than its definition today. The largest single work to have survived from the Roman Empire is Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia, which consists of 37 books divided into 10 volumes and covers everything from astronomy to zoology and mineralogy to art.

    Studying the natural world in ancient and early modern times was predominantly a philosophical pursuit until a discernible change during the Renaissance. By the 16th century, attitudes had shifted. The humanist learning tradition, centered on literature and the arts, began to give way to more advanced explanations for natural objects, describing their types and transformations and grouping them into classes.

    Private collections played a fundamental role in founding many natural history archives. The popularity of Wunderkammers, or “rooms of wonder,” transformed a pastime of the wealthy into exercises in scholarly prestige. By the late 17th century, more rigorous and formalized classification systems emerged as the philosophical component waned.

    Wenceslaus Hollar, “Shell (Murex brandaris)” (c. 1645), etching on laid paper, plate: 3 3/4 x 5 3/8 inches

    Throughout this time, artists like Albrecht Dürer, Clara Peeters, and Wenceslaus Hollar created works that responded to new discoveries. From biologically accurate renderings of shells and insects to playful compositions that employ animals and plants as decorative motifs, paintings and prints were often the only means by which the public could see newly discovered species.

    “Art and science have been closely aligned throughout the 175-year history of the Smithsonian,” says Kirk Johnson, director of the NMNH. “Even today, researchers at the National Museum of Natural History depend on scientific illustrators to bring clarity and understanding to the specimens they study.”

    Little Beasts opens on May 18 and continues through November 2 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Find more on the museum’s website.

    Clara Peeters, “Still Life with Flowers Surrounded by Insects and a Snail” (c. 1610), oil on copper,
    overall: 6 9/16 x 5 5/16 inches; framed: 10 x 9 x 1 1/2 inches

    Robert Hooke, “Micrographia: or, Some physiological descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses. / With observations and inquiries thereupon” (1665), bound volume with etched illustrations height (foldout illustrations significantly larger): 12 3/16 inches

    Jan van Kessel the Elder, “Artist’s Name in Insects and Reptiles [bottom center]” (1658), oil on copper, overall: 5 5/8 x 7 1/2 inches; framed: 9 7/8 x 12 1/8 inches

    Jan van Kessel the Elder, “Noah’s Family Assembling Animals Before the Ark” (c. 1660), oil on panel, overall: 25 3/4 x 37 3/16 inches; framed: 32 3/4 x 44 1/4 inches

    An Elephant Beetle (Megasoma e. elephas) from the Department of Entomology collections at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History

    Wenceslaus Hollar, “Two Butterflies, a Wasp, and a Moth” (1646), etching on laid paper, plate: 3 3/16 x 4 3/4 inches; sheet: 3 1/4 x 4 13/16 inches

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      Mandy Barker’s Cyanotypes Revive a Pioneering Botanist’s Book to Warn About Synthetic Debris

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      Jersey boxers (Gigartina sunday). All images from ‘Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections’ by Mandy Barker, published by GOST Books. All images © Mandy Barker, courtesy of the author and GOST, shared with permission

      Mandy Barker’s Cyanotypes Revive a Pioneering Botanist’s Book to Warn About Synthetic Debris

      March 18, 2025

      ArtBooksClimateNatureScience

      Kate Mothes

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      “In 2012, I found a piece of material in a rock pool that changed my life,” artist Mandy Barker says. “Mistaking this moving piece of cloth for seaweed started the recovery of synthetic clothing from around the coastline of Britain for the next ten years.”

      Barker is known for her photographic practice that takes a deep dive into marine debris. Her work has been featured in publications like National Geographic, The Guardian, VOGUE, and many more. Often collaborating with scientists to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the earth’s oceans, she eloquently highlights its harmful impacts on marine habitats, wildlife, and all of us who depend on the ocean for sustenance.

      Patterned blouse (Laminaria materia)

      Forthcoming from GOST Books, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections surveys the unexpected and out-of-place along British shores. At first glance, each specimen appears like a fragment of a leaf or a scatter of organic material, but upon closer inspection, the subjects of Barker’s images reveal details of unraveled polyester or scraps of nylon tights.

      Barker hopes to raise awareness of the damaging effects of fast fashion, synthetic clothing, and the increasing amounts of microfibers in the oceans. The fashion industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and container ships combined and is also the second-largest consumer of water, requiring about 2,000 gallons of water to produce a single pair of jeans.

      Barker’s new book is composed as an homage to the work of trailblazing botanist and photographer Anna Atkins (1799-1871), who is thought to be the first woman to take a photograph and the first person to publish a book containing photographic illustrations. Her 1843 study, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, employed blue photograms to illustrate photosynthetic organisms and seaweeds.

      Barker’s work serves as a kind of sibling or sequel to Atkins’ pioneering publication, presented in a similar style with handwritten names in Latin beneath each specimen.

      Coat lining (Dichloria vestis)

      In their updated versions, the titles take Atkins’ scientific names as a starting point and tweak them just slightly to conjure references to clothing or the human body. In the plate titled “Dichloris vestis,” for example, Barker draws on a real type of algae Atkins catalogued, Dichloria viridis, but “vestis” is instead a tongue-in-cheek reference to outerwear, often made of polyester or other synthetic materials. “Conferva tibia,” which portrays frayed tights, employs the Latin word for “leg.”

      From John o’ Groats at the northernmost tip of Great Britain to Land’s End at its southernmost, Barker recovered specimens of clothing from more than 120 beaches. Her finds, ranging from parkas to wigs to sports jerseys, were pulled from the sand, tide pools, or directly from the sea. In Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections, Barker looks to the past to better understand how our actions in the present have both immediate impacts and will shape the future of the climate crisis.

      Find your copy on GOST’s online store, where signed editions are also available, and explore more of Barker’s work on her website and Instagram.

      Nylon tights (Conferva tibia)

      Shawl (Odonthalia amiculum), shown on a spread from ‘Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections’ by Mandy Barker

      Jacket lining (Rhodomenia ignotus)

      Fishnet tights (Chylocladia funda)

      Two Blouses (Asperococcus indusium)

      Synthetic fur hood (Myrionema Palliolum)

      Lining (with algae) (Grateloupia intra)

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    • 200 Shares136 Views

      in Art

      Buried for Nearly 2,000 Years, a Monumental Dionysian Fresco Sees the Light of Day in Pompeii

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      Overview of a large fresco inside an excavated banquet gall in Pompeii. Image courtesy of Parco Archeologico di Pompei

      Buried for Nearly 2,000 Years, a Monumental Dionysian Fresco Sees the Light of Day in Pompeii

      March 4, 2025

      ArtHistoryScience

      Kate Mothes

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      When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E., the enormous explosion buried the city of Pompeii in an astonishing 19 meters of ash and debris. (A recent study concludes that in the neighboring town of Herculaneum, the blast was so intense that it vitrified a young man’s brain.) Since excavations of the area began in 1748, discovery after discovery has revealed lavish, poignant, and complex details about what life was like nearly 2,000 years ago in the Roman port town.

      When Vesuvius buried everything, the ash provided an extraordinarily protective covering for delicate frescos and structures, like an expansive fresco recently excavated in a banquet hall that “sheds light on the mysteries of Dionysus in the classical world,” says a statement from Italy’s Ministry of Culture.

      Image courtesy of Parco Archeologico di Pompei

      The large-scale painted frieze archaeologists are calling “house of Thiasos” shows the procession of Dionysus, god of wine, along with satyrs and bacchantes—also known as maenads—who are portrayed simultaneously as dancers and hunters.

      In the center of the composition, a woman is accompanied by Silenus, an elderly companion and tutor to Dionysus, holding a torch. The woman “indicates that she is an initiand,” the Ministry of Culture says, “a mortal woman who through a nocturnal ritual is about to be initiated into the mysteries of Dionysus, the god who dies and is reborn and who promises the same to his followers.”

      Spanning three walls of a building—the fourth had been open to a garden—in the so-called Regio IX district, the painting depicts a frieze known as a “megalography,” derived from the Greek for “large painting” and comprising a cycle of paintings with nearly life-size figures. Archaeologists date the fresco to around 40 to 30 B.C.E., nearly 100 years old already by the time Vesuvius erupted.

      Archaeologies typically categorize Roman and Pompeiian painting into four chronological periods or styles: incrustation (structural), architectural, ornamental, and intricate. Each style adapted elements of the previous period to generate new motifs and trends.

      Photo by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della Cultura

      The new banquet hall example is thought to be indicative of the second style in which figures or tableaux are framed within faux architectural niches and trompe-l’œil compositions. Curiously for art historians, all of the figures are depicted on pedestals “as if they were statues,” the Ministry of Culture says, “while at the same time their movements, complexion, and clothing make them appear very alive.”

      Investigations into the Regio IX district, which covers approximately 3,200 square meters, began two years ago. So far, the excavation of the entirely buried block has revealed two atrium houses—already partially explored in the 19th century—plus two workshop houses, some residential rooms of a large domus, a black hall with scenes from the Trojan saga, and a shrine with a rare blue background. More than 50 new rooms have been identified, and there is plenty more yet to uncover.

      As archaeologists gradually chip away at the ancient pile of volcanic detritus, new finds like a food stand and a primitive pizza continue to awe and inspire our understanding of ancient Roman life. The site is open for public visits, and you can explore more on the Archaeological Park of Pompeii’s website.

      Image courtesy of Parco Archeologico di Pompei

      Photo by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della Cultura

      Photo by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della Cultura

      Photo by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della Cultura

      Photo by Agnese Sbaffi and Emanuele Antonio Minerva, courtesy of Ministero della Cultura

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    • 150 Shares179 Views

      in Art

      In Saqqara, Archaeologists Uncover the Sumptuous 4,100-Year-Old Tomb of a Royal Physician

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      All images courtesy of Mission Archéologique Franco-Suisse de Saqqâra, shared with permission

      In Saqqara, Archaeologists Uncover the Sumptuous 4,100-Year-Old Tomb of a Royal Physician

      January 15, 2025

      ArtHistoryScience

      Kate Mothes

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      For ancient Egyptians, the afterlife—also called Duat, among other names—was a mystical realm overseen by the god Osiris, who personified rebirth and life after death. But entry to Duat was anything but guaranteed; when a person died, their spirit traveled across vast, challenging terrain and deposited them at the Hall of Final Judgment, where their heart was weighed against a feather from Ma’at, the goddess of justice and truth.

      In preparation for the afterlife, royals, dignitaries, and the wealthy elite constructed great tombs. The most elaborate among them were painted with ornamental murals that shared one’s accomplishments, packed with artwork and riches to demonstrate each individual’s status and accompany them to Duat.

      Expansive ancient necropolises complemented large cities, where society’s upper crust commissioned tombs, temples, and pyramids. For the capital of Memphis, the final resting place was typically Saqqara, which contains some of Egypt’s oldest monuments, some of which date back to the First Dynasty around 5,000 years ago.

      Scholars continue to unfurl millennia-old mysteries as archaeological excavations carry on in Saqqara. And sometimes, as researchers from the Mission Archéologique Franco-Suisse de Saqqâra (MAFS) recently found out, marvelous and unexpected discoveries still emerge from the sand.

      During the 2024 season, as the team excavated near a mastaba—a large-scale, rectangular, flat-roofed tomb—they discovered a number of smaller burials, including a “kiln” tomb. Also known as “oven” tombs, these burials are “made of raw bricks that are characterized by their vaulted ceiling,” says a statement from MAFS. “They are built several meters below the ground, and the only way to access them is through the burial shaft, always placed to the north of the entrance.”

      Typically, kiln tombs are “fairly simple mud brick monuments, sometimes with limestone walls, and even less often decorations,” MAFS says. Today, they are also often empty as a result of looting throughout the centuries. But instead of a basic, unadorned room, the team found vibrant wall paintings commemorating a doctor who died around 4,000 years ago.

      Archaeologists uncovered a stone tablet bearing the doctor’s name, Tetinebefou, near the entrance. A stele is a stone slab featuring text, imagery, or both, and in ancient Egypt, a false door stele represented a portal for the deceased’s spirit pass through into the afterlife. As researchers explored farther, the physician’s name was represented in other locations, confirming it to be his tomb.

      As reported in Live Science, Tetinebefou was known as a “dean of the palace physicians,” with inscriptions referring to him also as “conjurer of the goddess Serqet,” who was associated with protection from scorpion stings. He was also prescribed the titles of “director of medicinal plants” and “chief dentist,” both of which are unusual designations in ancient Egypt. It’s unclear which pharaoh he may have served, but MAFS’s lead Egyptologist Philippe Collombert suggests Tetinebefou may have worked under Pepi II, who reigned between approximately 2246 and 2152 B.C.E.

      Inside the tomb, relief carvings of urns, furniture, hieroglyphs, and garments are complemented by colorful patterns and richly textured ceiling. At some point in the past, the doctor’s tomb had indeed been looted, and only tiny fragments of objects remained. The decorations, however, mark an exceptional discovery.

      A documentary slated for 2026, directed by Frédéric Wilner, will take a deeper dive into the details of this excavation. In the meantime, explore more on the MAFS website.

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    • 125 Shares139 Views

      in Art

      An Ancient Peruvian Site Reveals a Remarkable Painted Throne Room

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      All images courtesy of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, shared with permission

      An Ancient Peruvian Site Reveals a Remarkable Painted Throne Room

      September 25, 2024

      Art History Science

      Kate Mothes

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      Between about 350 and 850 C.E., a society known as the Moche thrived in the coastal valleys of northern Peru. Pañamarca, in the Nepeña Valley, is the southernmost center of the Moche culture and the site of a remarkable series of recent archaeological discoveries, including the latest: a monumental pillared hall with vibrantly painted walls.

      The Archaeological Landscapes of Pañamarca, founded in 2018, is a collaboration between Peruvian and U.S. archaeologists, art historians, and conservators. Its research and digs are supported by the National Geographic Society, the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University, and the Avenir Conservation Center at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

      This year, archaeologists uncovered a pillared room containing evidence of its use by a high-status female leader. Scenes depict the powerful woman receiving visitors in procession or seated upon a throne.

      “Scholars will debate whether the woman painted on the walls of the throne room is human or mythical (a priestess, goddess, or queen),” researchers say. “But the physical evidence of the throne, including the erosion to its back support and the recovery of greenstone beads, fine threads, and even human hair, make clear that it was occupied by a real living person—and the evidence all points to a seventh-century woman leader of Pañamarca.”

      The figure portrayed on the walls is associated with the crescent moon, the sea and its creatures, and the fiber arts. Additional murals uncovered this past July reveal a scene of an entire workshop of women spinning and weaving, along with a retinue of men carrying textiles and the leader’s crown—which includes her braids.

      Lisa Trever, professor of art history at Columbia University, says, “Pañamarca continues to surprise us, not only for the ceaseless creativity of its painters but also because their works are overturning our expectations of gender roles in the ancient Moche world.”

      The colorful wall paintings of Pañamarca were first recorded in the 1950s, depicting battles between supernatural beings, priests, warriors in procession, a unique two-faced man, and ceremonial activities.

      “Moche archaeology is well known for its rich, elite tombs, impressive architecture and artworks, and elaborate religious artifacts and imagery,” says a project statement. Atop a granite hill, the site consists of a stepped adobe platform, two lower platforms, a walled plaza, and a number of other structures.

      Dig deeper on the Pañamarca project’s website and Instagram.

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    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in Art

      Art and Science Set Sail in Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Artist-at-Sea Program

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      Ellie Hannon works on one of her paintings on the aft deck during sunset on the Timor Sea around Ashmore Reef. All images © Schmidt Ocean Institute, shared with permission

      Art and Science Set Sail in Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Artist-at-Sea Program

      September 17, 2024

      Art Climate Nature Science

      Kate Mothes

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      “There are many ways to tell a story or to document and share research and discoveries,” says artist Ellie Hannon, one of 54 artists who has embarked on a unique residency organized by the Schmidt Ocean Institute (previously). From slip-cast porcelain and painting to 3D printing and virtual reality, the storytelling possibilities are endless in the Artist-at-Sea program, which invites artists to work alongside scientists on weeks-long expeditions into some of the least-explored areas of our oceans.

      Conceived by the organization’s co-founder and president Wendy Schmidt and launched in 2015, the residency was fueled by suggestions from some of the crew onboard its first vessel, Falkor—named after the beloved luck dragon in The NeverEnding Story. “The idea behind the program was to provide an avenue for artists to experience the scientific process at sea and experience first-hand new ocean ecosystems,” says Dr. Carlie Wiener, the institute’s director of communications.

      Shan Hua sculpts a piece that she will then 3D scan, using the rendering to work with VR, then 3D-printed

      Aboard the research vessel Falkor (too), one artist is provided with a berth—an alotted space—on each expedition, exploring a wide range of biological and geological phenomena. From volcanic activity to coral reefs to glacial interactions, researchers often document new species, map uncharted terrain, and examine the implications of the climate crisis seen in receding ice sheets and rising sea levels.

      Designers Shan Hua and Pei-Win Jin joined a six-day journey in August 2023 dedicated to studying the dynamics of sinking microplastics. The residency was an opportunity to experiment with new technology, while observing how tests were carried out and learning about the physical characteristics of the ocean. Hua says, “It was my first time collaborating with scientists, and it was incredibly memorable to observe their sampling processes over an extended period.”

      For her work on Falkor (too), Hua was deeply moved by the reality of vast quantities of plastics in our oceans and the capacity for the material to last an incredibly long time without breaking down, unlike organic material. A single-use plastic bottle can take hundreds of years to disintegrate. But in the ocean, the most worrisome culprits are the tiny particles that can starve and suffocate marine life, while also possibly hindering the ocean’s ability to act as a carbon sink.

      “Something as simple as laundering synthetic fabrics can introduce microplastic fibers into the environment,” says a statement about the last August’s expedition. Hua looked further into the longevity of microplastics and its effects on life, landing on the theme of marine fossils. She worked with an onboard 3D printer, along with VR technology, to create what she calls “future fossils”—relics portending what might happen if we don’t act now to prevent further pollution.

      For the artists aboard Falkor (too), working alongside scientists fosters a deeper appreciation for the enormity of our oceans and the life they contain. Costa Rica-based Carlos Hiller, who specializes in underwater landscape painting, was constantly awed by the sights and discoveries during the nearly three-week “Octopus Odyssey” expedition around the west coast of his home island.

      “I became an invisible witness to the encounter between technology—our underwater eyes—and organisms or landscapes that had never seen the light before.”Carlos Hiller

      Hiller expected to have long periods to paint, and he imagined that the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that scanned the sea floor would be slow and monotonous. But there wasn’t a dull moment: “Every few meters on the sedimentary floor, a new creature appeared, and the rock formations revealed underwater landscapes that evoked vivid descriptions of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” he says.

      Carlos Hiller at work on a painting onboard Falkor (too)

      The human relationship to the sea struck a chord with Hiller, who was intrigued by parallel yet disparate experiences. “I was fascinated by placing myself imaginarily at a certain distance from the ROV to observe the scene from two angles: that of the observed and that of the observer,” he says. “I became an invisible witness to the encounter between technology—our underwater eyes—and organisms or landscapes that had never seen the light before.”

      Hiller created 13 paintings onboard the vessel, and the experience inspired a further series of paintings, murals, and small, mobile sculptures informed by the deep environment. “Often, we imagine the sea as a vast, undulating surface, an infinite mirror,” he says. “We venture only a few meters underwater, and beyond that, in our minds, there is only darkness, emptiness, and mystery.” He is thrilled by the apprehension of so much more.

      Carlos Hiller, “Maternidad – Adorado” (2023), acrylic on canvas and giclée print, 128 x 86 centimeters

      Hannon also took advantage of the ROV’s capabilities during a 2021 residency focused on paintings and a slip-cast porcelain installation. She collaborated with researcher Ian Parnum and ROV technician Jason Rodriguez as the team explored Ashmore Reef Marine Park, a sanctuary for birds, turtles, and many other marine species off Australia’s northwest coast.

      Using digital imaging—and the ROV’s robot arms—to capture the visual characteristics of a sea sponge, Hannon was able to digitally stitch together a 3D image, which was then printed into a slip-cast mold. The process reinvigorated an aspect of her practice she had previously put to the side. She also produced a series of five vibrant paintings illustrating a wide range of creatures inhabiting the reef.

      “One of the most surprising things that has come out of the program is not just how the science has influenced the artist but how the art has influenced the science.”Dr. Carlie Wiener

      Wowed by the clarity of the ROV’s film footage and the work of its operators, Hannon disembarked with a lasting impression of inventiveness and creativity demonstrated by the entire team. “A moment that stuck out for me relating to this was, when a part of the ROV broke, the team used the 3D printer to replicate this part, as they noted: you can’t just run down to the tool shop when you are 400 kilometers from land.”

      Ellie Hannon looks at a digital sketch that is forming the basis for one of her paintings inside the wet lab

      Interacting with researchers from around the world provides artists the opportunity to reimagine scientific inquiry as a range of art forms and share discoveries and technologies through an approachable medium. Schmidt Ocean Institute then adds one piece from each artist to its collection, exhibiting the work globally in a continued effort to advance knowledge about the marine world.

      “One of the most surprising things that has come out of the program is not just how the science has influenced the artist but how the art has influenced the science,” Dr. Wiener says. “Many of our Artist-at-Sea participants have developed long-term relationships with scientists that come aboard and continue to work together on projects after their time in the residency.”

      Another recent expedition invited Max Hooper Schneider onboard, and Jill Pelto is working on the current trip off the coast of Chile, which concludes on September 23. Learn more about the Artist-at-Sea program and take a deep dive into each expedition on the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s website.

      Five works created by Ellie Hannon on the bow of the research vessel

      Max Hooper Schneider observes his first work of art before it is deployed on the seafloor

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