Cancer cells as art!

Cell No 4 - Angela Canada Hopkins

Furthering my research into cancer cells and their forms, I came across an artist - Angela Canada Hopkins.

Hopkins, like myself lost her father in June 2001 to cancer and she too decided to channel her emotions through art and design.

'Cancer is a difficult subject to tackle, but when it touched my life, I took inspiration from the challenge.

After my father died from cancer in June 2001, I decided the best way to overcome my new "enemy" was by embracing it through art.  I initially painted the disease by deconstructing microscope slides of cancer cells and reinterpreted them.  Creating the work has deepened my understanding of the disease and changed my outlook.  Recently, my work has progressed to a more abstract style that references general characteristics of molecular patterns and shapes. '

                     

                                                            Taken from - Angela Canada Hopkins -About me section.

                                                                          http://angelacanadahopkins.com/about/

Hopkins takes slides of the microscope cells and creates her own interpretation. She wanted to make something positive and replace her negative thoughts on the subject matter.

I feel that her painting are bright and colourful, although I am aware of what they are, I feel comfort by looking at her images.

I hope to create a similar feeling as Hopkins has done through her work, and raise awareness within the viewing public, without them realising the true extent of the images content.

Hopkins images are now being used within a variety of commercial places, with recently a painting was chosen for the jacket of a novel by 'The Abundance: A Novel' .

Rich Pratcher , art director at Henry Holt and Company, who sought out Hopkins work, says 

“I thought the description of the unusual beauty in something so destructive fit harmoniously with the novel"

http://innovationews.com/social/loveland-artist-draws-inspiration-from-cancer-cells/

Details of Hopkins' website is http://angelacanadahopkins.com

Cell No 21 - Angela Canada Hopkins

Cell No 8 - Angela Canada Hopkins

Cell No 15 - Angela Canada Hopkins

All Images used with kind permission from Angela.

To the laboratory!

Honours Project

So my honours project will centre on cancer cells, their shape, form, texture and colour combination. I will explore this theme and try and create something beautiful from such a negative subject. 
Suggestions for a title so far are: 


 • Understanding the enemy


 • Cell behavior


• inside out


As I have decided to use cancer cells within this project, I wanted another source of primary research and though to myself how on earth can I get some other then the internet or medical journals?


 so a spot of searching on the Internet and I found the cancer research website and contact details to the site in Liverpool. I fired off a couple of emails to the contacts upon the website and Friday morning, up popped a reply!


I had explained in my email to the contacts who I was, what I was studying and what my idea was, Hannah Leaton, who is Research Engagement Manager at Cancer Research UK - Manchester emailed back as both herself and her colleague James Dunphy were both intrigued by my idea.

 I have since secured a visit to the Cancer Research UK Lab in Manchester on 20th March to visit the lab and a chance to interview Steve Bagley, who is Head of Advanced Imaging. I am excitied by this visit as I feel it will help me understand how cells react more.

Attached is a link to Cancer research Uk - Science snaps. This is a blog of cancer cells images that scientists have taken. 

http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/series/science-snaps/

Provided by Professor Inke Näthke at the University of Dundee, the images reveal a different mysterious depth and show the intricate structure of the cells that line the intestine.

 On my travels I also visited the gallery in the Met Quarter, this is were I saw an artist who has inspired me also with this project. Phillipe Airde's yacht paint painting I feel look very similar to the images of the cells. He is often inspired by the body and also the galaxy. 

Melotonin 2007 (detail)- Phillipe Aird

http://www.philippeaird.com/thebody.htm

 I spoke with the gallery's owner Jennifer, who took my details and offered any further help that I may need and even maybe an interview with him. He has inspired me to even try my own style of painting in this way! Watch this space!