With COVID-19, microorganisms have migrated from natural science and medicine onto center stage in politics, history and civil society.
Through the artistry of Jim Cogswell, microorganisms can now be seen in a colorful mural on the windows of the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History.
“Unseen Worlds” magnifies the world of microorganisms and mirrors visitors’ movements as the vinyl elements wrap their way around the glass exterior of the building.
Cogswell, an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and professor of art in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, has been working on this project for more than three years.
“The Biological Sciences Building was designed to represent science, but from the outside you may not know that,” Cogswell said. “My job was to put the science on the exterior.”
Using images from scientific research, Cogswell made ink paintings of more than 350 microorganisms such as radiolaria, diatoms, hydra, worms (annelids) and a wide variety of planktonic creatures. With the help of Stamps School students, the paintings were transferred to a digital format then sent to a fabricator to create machine-cut vinyl film.
The 1,700-square-foot mural is assembled from multiple elements, each color cut from a different roll and applied as individual pieces to the windows. The color permeates the vinyl material, making it equally vibrant from both the inside and out.
With varying degrees of transparency, the artwork responds to the intensity of light determined by weather and time of day, bathing viewers in shifting sensations of color and shadows.
“Our hope is that visitors will be drawn to these delightful, human-scale microorganisms and want to discover how these unseen elements impact our world,” said Amy Harris, museum director. “This installation serves as an invitation to discovery.”
Three students were instrumental in the research, development and execution of the project: Sky Christoph and Kai Hamill, both of Stamps, and Beverly Fu of LSA. In addition, Cogswell worked with U-M faculty in cell and developmental biology, ecology and evolutionary biology, internal medicine and physics, and at the U-M Biological Station.
“Unseen Worlds” will be on view through 2023.
Patricia Bauer
A spectacular representation and unification of art & science in such a colorful, imaginitive, creative, emotion prevoking, entertaining (and soooo many more modifiers), manner. I pass it to and from work daily and it continues to capture my attention and stimulate a variety of positive thoughts and feelings. I have not been to the museum since it’s moved into its new space but I’m looking forward to visiting so I can view this art/science form from a different perspective and lighting. Thank You!