Introspective

Welcome to the Museum of Miniature Science, Poetry and Imagination. Introspective is the opening exhibit for this (fictional) museum. See composite images of life-sized plants and animals in surreal conversations with hidden, microscopic parts of themselves. The micrographs, in most cases scaled to several times smaller than a pinhead, are enlarged here to become the dominant visual element. What makes a nettle leaf sting? Why does pollen have complex patterns? What are diatoms made of? Scientific facts aren’t just stacks of information, they are gateways to awe and wonder. Art and poetry give the facts wings. The museum’s motto is, “Small things rule the world.” Entry is free for anyone willing to slow down and contemplate the value of minute nature's beauty, metaphors, and mystery. Photographer’s Note: I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera; the micrographs are made with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). I learned to use the SEM while working on my book, On An Acre Shy of Eternity/Micro Landscapes at the Edge.