"Mitotic Bliss" is part of my biological series. The underlying sculpture is a representation of the organelles inside a cell; the overall theme is cell division - mitosis. The piece as approx. 32" x 40" x 1 1/4" and weighs 20 lbs. Mixed media - bent wood frame, Plaster of Paris sculpture painted over with oils. (Note: this art work is SOLD.)

This was also an experiment in making jig-saw matching pieces for filling a large wall, I made a matching frame by forming it to one side of this one (work in progress).

Art Philosophy: My art style is totally my own but the philosophy behind my art is influenced in part by surrealists like Salvador Dali, the double-imagery in his paintings creates an interactive experience with the viewer. My version of the double-image effect is sculpting an idea and then masking or diverting (or in some cases enhancing) the underlying sculpture. However, there's another dimension added with the perimeter of the frame which has its own subliminal imagery. Like a Rorschach test, I look at the finished frame from different angles until the shape is reminiscent of something, in this case I saw the outline of an abstract face. I painted the mitochondria on a DNA necklace with a faint hint of cleavage at the bottom.

Here is what it looked like when the sculture part was finished; gessoed and ready to paint.

I created a chart which describes the different organelles in the cell. Click for full size

In addition to the sculpted parts I painted in some further cell details; The white dots in the endoplasmic reticulum represents ribosomes which are created inside the nucleus. There are two types types of endoplasmic reticulum - smooth and rough - the rough has the dots and the smooth one doesn't. The tubular structures painted around the centriole represents microtubules which attach to chromosomes during cell division.

Bonus: I'm developing a wood-workmanship extra with the back by finishing the frame and wood backing with different stains.

Home page: www.palermoproject.com