Organic Series

My new Organic Series, “micro-organism ink work”, is a personal elucidation to nature, to unknown creatures and their life cycle. To celebrate the discovery of the invisible, and individual emotions that lie underneath. Every day, every hour, every minute, our life is tightly connected with this largely undiscovered world.

What don’t we know?

What do we know?

We must find our way through a slow process of sadness and joy, to continue the struggle to protect ourselves as we discover this new world.

Let me try and explain how I proceeded in choosing this topic.

For a long time I have been curious about the field of micro-organisms, those tiny multiplying microbes and cells, that also make and destroy the life of loved ones. I began to record my feelings of pain, while collecting a lot of information, trying to find the unknown in my ink painting.

Micro-organism is a general term for very small organisms that we don’t really see. Their characteristics can be classified as small in volume – over a large area – with plenty of absorption and conversion – flourishing growth – fast reproduction – strong adaptation – variable frequency – in a wide distribution of many different species. Most micro-organisms are single-celled, but many have no cellular structure. Generally they may be divided into four categories: bacteria, actinomycetes, yeast and fungus.

Without them, the cycle of material and energy in the biological garden would be interrupted and life on earth would be difficult to continue. Microorganisms are the most abundant and diverse biological resources on earth and the second largest life form. So integral, because micro-organisms and human life are closely interconnected, they are both culprit and source of a wide variety of infectious diseases like HIV/aids, Ebola, SARs and Covid-19.

I can feel them, touch them, hear their voice while detecting their movements underneath my skin. Under a microscope I could watch those amazing creatures that have become part of my body. This cycle of microbes form the pivot of life. They are there, inevitably accompanying me in a creative search using water and ink on paper. I will separate the flow of these quietly wriggling micro-organisms in order to make this strange new world visible. Breaking them up they will dance, quarrel, and play. In my vain attempt to conquer them.