REVIVAL -Photograph of crystalline THC from Cannabis
NOTES FROM THE STUDIO/LAB:
While exhibiting at the recent Tempe Festival of the Arts, a chance encounter with a local R&D scientist led to the newest addition to my photography of crystals portfolio. The scientist works at MPX labs, isolating the compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from the cannabis plant. He was kind enough to purchase some of my artwork and offered me a tour of their local laboratory.
While touring the facility the following week, my previous time spent in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S. as a research scientist made the surroundings seem very familiar. Having also worked at the University of Washington on an investigation of the biological receptors known as cannabinoid receptors (where THC binds), my science and art careers were once again coming together.
I spent the next few weeks in my studio/lab running experiments in an effort to get THC crystals to cooperate and grow into some fine art worthy arrays. The results look promising, and I think THC will be an exciting new addition to my crystalline lineup.
FANTASIA -Photograph of crystalline THC from Cannabis
“I never met a color I didn't like." -Dale Chihuly
The FDA and Paul Cézanne
We've all been stuck in an interminable meeting. A meeting where the presenter drones on and the effort of paying attention gives way to a desperate attempt to stay awake. I found myself in attendance at just such a presentation on a beautiful spring day in Washington D.C. almost 15 years ago. To make matters worse, I knew there was an exhibit of the paintings of Paul Cézanne mere blocks from the conference hall.
The presenter was from the Food and Drug Administration and one of the reasons I had attended this pharmaceutical conference. However, change was afoot. Back home rumors swirled that my company was soon to be acquired by big pharma and my job security indicator was flashing red. Quietly, I exited the darkened lecture hall and escaped into the sunshine, blue skies, and the wonders of Paul Cézanne.
The Banks of the Marne at Creteil -Paul Cezanne 1888
I can still recall entering that exhibit and being instantly transfixed. In Cézanne's world, the atmosphere surrounding what he was painting was a part of the sensational reality of his subject. Cézanne claimed: "Art is a personal perception, which I embody in sensations."
Cézanne's experimentation with form, time and the effect of optical phenomena created a bridge between the impressionists and the beginning of modern art. It inspired the cubists and his work led to a revolution of artistic inquiry.
Life's journey contains many course corrections along the way, some subtle, some abrupt. I didn't realize it then, but on that spring day so many years ago, the end of my laboratory career and the beginning of my art career each gained a little more momentum. Thanks in no small part to the FDA and Paul Cézanne.
