Gravity Wave 2023

This suite of prints was made with advanced imaging technologies at Monash University, primarily used for medical research. Working closely with resident microscopist Cameron Nowell, Brodie Ellis has explored the artistic potential of these innovative machines to create experimental images that illuminate the subtle beauty of organic forms including seed pods, feathers, sand, and rock. These tiny specimens from local habitats are collected and enlarged to create images that are guided by what is revealed through the microscope as laser light is refracted off the varied surfaces.

Each image is meticulously hand-coloured by Ellis within a digital environment to reveal specific features. The resulting compositions distil the flow of energy present in nature, drawing attention to minute details within vast interconnected networks and amplifying their presence to explore new ways of perceiving the natural world. Here, a tiny sliver of quartz from Leanganook (Mt Alexander) glows under the microscope, conjuring cosmic connections and bearing markings of its creation millions of years ago when volcanic magma cooled and crystallised.

Text by curator Clare Needham for the exhibition Essays on Earth at Bendigo Art Gallery September 9 2023-January 14 2024.