Artist Craig Ward recently found a new and unlikely artistic material to make creative pieces with when he started turning subway germs into works of art. The pieces feature bacteria collected from poles found throughout the New York City subway line that are then repurposed to create beautifully technicolor works inside petri dishes.
Ward's collection of artwork features a variety of scientific petri dishes filled with all sorts of types of bacteria collected off of subway station poles and handrails. Ward collected the germs using swab sticks throughout his commutes and then arranges the bacteria to spell out letters inside the dishes. The letters allude to the subway trains he was on. The end result is a colorful array of asymmetrical atoms that makes you think twice about the cleanliness of a city's transportation.
What's Driving This Trend
- Microbe Art
- Using bacteria as a new medium for creating art
- Science-inspired Art
- Incorporating science and technology into artistic creations
- Germ Awareness Art
- Raising awareness about the bacteria in our surroundings through art
Who This Affects Most
- Art
- Creating new opportunities for artists to experiment with untraditional mediums
- Science/technology
- Fostering collaborations between artists and scientists to create innovative and interdisciplinary works
- Public Health
- Raising awareness about the importance of hygiene and cleanliness in public spaces and transportation
