Luke Jerram’s Deadly Glass Sculptures
Smallpox, HIV and an 'Untitled Future Mutation'
The thing I love most about these glass sculptures is my response when I realize what they are. At first glance I see beautiful 3-D glass sculptures that have been crafted with perfection. When I realize what they represent, I get a feeling of eeriness, awe and curiosity. Luke Jerram creates beautiful sculptures of really “ugly” viruses.
These transparent glass sculptures were created to contemplate the global impact of each disease and to consider how the artificial colouring of scientific imagery affects our understanding of phenomena. Jerram is exploring the tension between the artworks’ beauty, what they represent and their impact on humanity…
…If some images are coloured for scientific purposes, and others altered simply for aesthetic reasons, how can a viewer tell the difference? How many people believe viruses are brightly coloured?
This glass sculpture series was born from these questions and Jerram consults with virologists from the University of Bristol on each piece. Luke Jerram’s website has more glass sculptures to see as well as videos about his process. Certainly worth the visit.
Wellcome Trust - (8cm diameter) - Artificially coloured image by David Sayer
HIV (22cm diameter)
E. coli (105cm long)
SARS Corona Virus (22cm diameter)
Swine Flu (25cm high)
Swine Flu detail
About the Author – Jeff Rainey
Today in Art - Feb 12, 2010 | sculpture
Tagged | glass, sculpture
4 comments
justarizona
February 12, 2010Very beautiful work. Not sure delicate is even the right word. Amazing.
Tania Evins
February 12, 2010I agree, these are so amazing!
Janette
February 12, 2010Beautiful work! Really captivating, have you thought of doing the deadly plague?
Beth Stone
February 12, 2010Beautiful, in an odd and creepy sort of way… I’ve seen plush, “stuffed animal” viruses like this, but they were sort of gaudy… these are awfully elegant for being such terrible things! Interesting…