Single-Celled Cities

Currently available for purchase and shows unless otherwise specified.

Artist Statement for Single-Celled Cities

This series was inspired by the concept of cities as living organisms.  The drawings in these paintings are of water diatoms, which are microscopic, single-celled algae that have been found in fossil records as far back as the Jurassic period.  They are found in all aquatic habitats such as oceans, lakes, rivers, and even soil.  Diatoms are enclosed in a silica cell wall that forms beautifully intricate patterns like tiny cities and are either free floating or form colonies in the shape of fans, zigzags, or stars.  They are an important base of the food web in their environments and a main source of carbon fixation.  It is estimated that almost half of the world’s oxygen is produced through diatom photosynthesis.  In addition, diatoms are very sensitive to changes in the water, so any disturbance in ph, salinity, nutrients, or pollution can be seen to affect diatoms before other wildlife.  This makes diatoms great early indicators on the health of a body of water.  The shine of the metallic leaf suggests the jewel like structure of the diatoms and flows around the diatoms as if caught in water’s eddy. The pieces themselves are tiny too, at just 4”x4” unframed, and are meant to be reminiscent of small windows into a swirling microscopic world.