Glass Microbiology Sculptures Explore Science Behind Modeling Viruses and Bacteria
Created approximately 1 million times larger than the actual cells, Luke Jerram’s works highlight the intricate and unique structures without obscuring a viewer’s impression based on color. He collaborates with virologists from the University of Bristol to ensure the form’s accuracy before being glassblowers Kim George, Brian Jones, and Norman Veitch help mold the delicate shapes, starting with the coiled nucleic acid at the center and later the outer proteins. Together, they’ve created dozens of models so far, including the long, worm-like ebola and a T4 bacteriophage with a rectangular head and multiple legs.
T4 Bacteriophage 2011. All photographs © Luke Jerram
“Of course, by making it in glass, you create something that’s incredibly beautiful. There’s a tension there, between the beauty of the object and what it represents,” the U.K.-based artist said in an interview. “By making the invisible visible, we’re able to feel like we have a better sense of control over it.”
E.coli
Malaria 2015
SARS Corona
Jerram’s microbes are on view in two exhibitions this month: as part of Hope from Chaos: Pandemic Reflections at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore and at Henry Moore Institute’s A State of Matter. Explore the vast collection and dive into the science behind the works on the Glass Microbiology site.
Luke Jerram, Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine, 2020, glass sculpture.
https://www.lukejerram.com/glass/
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2022/02/luke-jerram-glass-mircobiology/
