ABSTRACT
‘Microbial Me’ is a project about the use of scientific materials in an artistic context as well as about the exploration of the microbial life found on the surface of the skin. The colonies can compete with each other for nutrients, with those bacteria able to grow at low nutrient concentrations becoming more dominant as the sculpture matures. Bacteria also compete with each other in more aggressive ways, such as producing antibiotics which can kill other types of bacteria or alter the environment, for example, by producing high concentrations of acid which can prevent other bacteria from growing. Since working with organisms through collaboration with scientists, the author's artistic work has changed substantially in all areas. ‘Immortal Ground’ was a project for the author's final degree show – ‘Unfolding Realities’ – in 2016 at Central Saint Martins in London.
