For the Love of Enlichenment
Faculty Mentor
Jessica Allen
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 10:45 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
This painting is a testament to the symbioses permeating our environment and making life possible. The frame is covered in lichens, a special class of exquisite organisms formed by the symbiosis between fungi, algae, and/or cyanobacteria. When these pieces come together in a symbiosis, they form a new, more intricate, and complex being that is greater than the sum of its parts. Even to the most knowledgeable academics, lichens challenge our ideas of dichotomy, and our ability to distinguish between individuals and communities. Thus, in this painting, I blend the lines between where one life ends, and one life begins. Life is a beautiful stream of DNA and biochemistry sustained by myriad symbioses. Nothing can live alone. Without our symbioses, there is no we, and there is no I. As a STEM student, I incorporated many aspects of science into my painting as well. I invite the viewer to look for evidence of cellular signaling, the equation for photosynthesis and cellular respiration, ovaries with sperm, DNA mushrooms, nucleic acid labels, embryo formation, a neuronal network, and an RNA molecule with a secret code. Overall, the theme is connection. Each of the biological phenomena shown on the canvas represents something that unites nearly all known life forms together. Even the genetic code drawn on the rungs of the DNA ladder was taken from repetitive sequences in centromeres. This painting is a reminder that it is impossible to ever be truly alone.
Recommended Citation
Morrison, Carissa L., "For the Love of Enlichenment" (2024). 2024 Symposium. 1.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2024/ps_2024/p1_2024/1
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
For the Love of Enlichenment
PUB NCR
This painting is a testament to the symbioses permeating our environment and making life possible. The frame is covered in lichens, a special class of exquisite organisms formed by the symbiosis between fungi, algae, and/or cyanobacteria. When these pieces come together in a symbiosis, they form a new, more intricate, and complex being that is greater than the sum of its parts. Even to the most knowledgeable academics, lichens challenge our ideas of dichotomy, and our ability to distinguish between individuals and communities. Thus, in this painting, I blend the lines between where one life ends, and one life begins. Life is a beautiful stream of DNA and biochemistry sustained by myriad symbioses. Nothing can live alone. Without our symbioses, there is no we, and there is no I. As a STEM student, I incorporated many aspects of science into my painting as well. I invite the viewer to look for evidence of cellular signaling, the equation for photosynthesis and cellular respiration, ovaries with sperm, DNA mushrooms, nucleic acid labels, embryo formation, a neuronal network, and an RNA molecule with a secret code. Overall, the theme is connection. Each of the biological phenomena shown on the canvas represents something that unites nearly all known life forms together. Even the genetic code drawn on the rungs of the DNA ladder was taken from repetitive sequences in centromeres. This painting is a reminder that it is impossible to ever be truly alone.
