Artist Statement

My visual art project is concentrated in the specific area of scientific photography made by the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), which has expanded the boundaries of observation and representation of the micro world since it was introduced to scientific research in the mid-1960s. I investigate how to interpret scientific images captured by the SEM of micro-scale drops of water from different aquatic systems after evaporation. I do so in an attempt to discover morphological features of the patterns related to water contamination and thus to turn scientific photography into a creative art form. Although scientific photography can be considered non-aesthetic since its main purpose is not to convey beauty but rather to convey accurate information, its ability to record material in addition to that which is merely informative allows it to also serve expressive, subjective and aesthetic purposes. Microphotography in particular has the potential to communicate to a general public from both a scientific and a cultural perspective. My artistic practice can be seen as rejecting the traditional practice of minimizing noise in scientific representation and, instead, embracing experimentation that encourages the unexpected over the predictable.

• Anastasia Tyurina completed her bachelor’s degree in Teaching Visual Arts at Moscow State Regional University (Russia) and master’s degree in Photojournalism at Lomonosov Moscow State University before eventually becoming an Associate Professor at National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET), Moscow, Russia. She is currently undertaking her PhD in Visual Arts (Photography) at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Throughout her academic and artistic career she was interested in obtaining of new knowledge of the relationship between science and art, therefore, she used scientific machines, particularly microscopes in a variety of art projects, which allowed her to earn various awards in Art & Science contests. In addition to teaching, Ms Tyurina is a regular contributor to international festivals, exhibitions and conferences in the Art & Science category.