An introduction to electron micrography, including process and use, and the growing creative applications for this technology.
Electron Micrograph Images
Artistic, creative images of electron micrographs. Images used solely for educational purposes and belong to their respective owners. See "Sources" for information.
Information: You Are Here
Online and text resources for information about electron micrography, both as a science and as an emerging form of art.
Sources
A list of websites from which I gained photographs and information. Bibliography of the available text literature on the subject.
I have a number of different sites. If this is not what you were looking for, try these links:
.the procrastination project.
.completely random.
Bryan Wawzenek, "Science is Art." The Marquette Tribune. April 25, 2001.
This article clearly states what position Wawzenek takes in the debate on whether or not science can be art. It is largely a review of "The Art of Death," with a few quotes from Hunter O'Reilly, the artist.
Ruth Neave, "Is Science Art?" Web Article for the University of Dundee, written April 2, 2002. Availability information is in the Sources section.
Ruth Neave writes a short article supporting the idea of science as art. She posts pictures of botanical specimens, engravings, and the most recent advance, electron micrography, as support. Through this visual medium, she analyzes the impact of aesthetics on science throughout the discipline's history, concentrating mostly on Western science.
Available Books
There are many more textbooks out there on technique than the one, outdated one that I mention here. The reason I have only the one is that I did not feel that reading about technique alone would assist me in my analysis of micrography as art.
Kodak, "Techniques of Microphotography." Ernest F. Fullam, Inc. NY, 1972.
Kodak is very active in the field of electron micrography. The textbooks it offers includes instructions and techniques with the electron microscope, as well as advice for achieving "artistic" results. This handbook was published in 1972, so therefore does not discuss digitization, colorization, and other advances that make an artistic result possible. However, as I was surfing to make sure that my assumption that other textbooks on technique existed, I found that Kodak had recently published several (presumably more up to date) textbooks on the subject.
Preston, Richard. "The Hot Zone." Random House, NY. June, 1994.
I would be seriously remiss if I concluded this discussion without mentioning this book. Richard Preston goes into deep detail about the process of electron micrography within the context of hunting for the Ebola virus. He also mentions within text that images of Ebola had hung in art museums. This idea appealed to me and directly lead to this website. The book includes electron micrograph images of Ebola taken by Dr. Tom Geisbert, among others.
Artistic Electron Micrography
Website: "Hunter O'Reilly, Ph.D: Reinterpreting Science as Art."
Hunter O'Reilly has created a website that blends science and art. In addition to electron micrography, he has photographed bioluminescent bacteria in interesting arrangments, created sculpture out of bones, plexiglass, and neon, and also does digital art and laboratory installations.
Website: "MicroAngela: Electron Microscope Image Gallery."
MicroAngela's digitized electron micrographs are among the best examples I've seen. She delights in bringing a fresh perspective to the ordinary. Her subjects are humble: ants, flies, mites, and fungus, but the detail of electron micrography allows the viewer to see these mundane objects in a new way.
Website: "Molecular Expressions PhotoGallery"
Maintained by the Florida State University Science department, the Molecular Expressions PhotoGallery includes photographs taken with a variety of equipment: regular microscopes, electron microscopes, and digital cameras. Their subjects are just as varied. The site also offers a wide array of desktop goodies such as screensavers and backgrounds. The only thing I would want more from this site is some discussion of the processes they use to create such colorful and complex compositions.
Website: "FEI Art Gallery"
This art gallery is maintained by the FEI company for the purposes of advertisement. Universities and private individuals who use their products are encouraged to send their images in to be posted. Even though their gallery is self-promotional, they give credit to the photographers who are not members of their company, and they also provide information on the kind of machinery used to create the image.
Website: "Public Health Image Gallery"
This website is a good example of "traditional" electron micrography. Although the compositions are sometimes manipulated (usually as a gag), PHIL is largely a scientific organization. It is a subsidiary of the Centers for Disease Control.