PRESS CONTACTS:
Hunter Cole
email: huntercolemail (at) gmail (dot) com
773-573-7451

Artist Hunter Cole Presents Exhibit Featuring Photos of Bacteria That Create Their Own Light

March 26, 2019

Waveland, MS – Art and science come together in a mesmerizing new multimedia exhibit entitled, “Living Light: Photographs by Light of Bioluminescent Bacteria,” on display at The Waveland Ground Zero Hurricane Museum, 335 Coleman Ave, Waveland, MS, on April 24 and at the Waveland City Hall, 301 Coleman Ave, Waveland, MS, from Feb. 15 through Mar. 24. "Living Drawings Created with Bioluminescent Bacteria" and “Dancing with Light: Dancing by the Light of Bioluminescent Bacteria” are two movies that will be shown.

This unique solo show at the Epping Gallery from Chicago-based artist and scientist Hunter Cole features photographs of human figures (portraits; nudes; installations) illuminated by a glowing blue light created by bioluminescent bacteria. Cole creates liquid cultures of bacteria, then draws the bacteria into different shapes on Petri dishes using a paintbrush. Finally, she photographs the glowing Petri dishes alongside her subjects to create modern works of provocative symbolism.

“Art and science have always been mutually inclusive for me,” says Cole, who has a PhD in genetics and teaches in the biology department at Loyola University of Chicago. “Science serves as a vehicle for expressing my creativity and artistry. Art serves as a motivation for me to interpret our living world.”

In addition to the photos in the Epping Gallery, at Artspace144 visitors can also see a time-lapse video piece featuring the bacteria growing and dying, accompanied by a musical score based on the protein sequences in the bacteria — all of which is meant to invoke reflections on the issue of mortality.

Living Light: Photographs by Light of Bioluminescent Bacteria
When: Feb. 15 to Mar. 24
Epping Gallery
Mondays through Thursdays 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Fridays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m
Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sundays Closed

Living Drawings Created with Bioluminescent Bacteria Movie
When: Feb. 15 - Mar. 2
Artspace144
Mondays through Thursdays 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Fridays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m
Saturdays 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sundays Closed

Where:
Epping Gallery and Artspace144
McHenry County College
8900 U.S. Hwy 14
Crystal Lake, IL 60012

Tickets: Free
Info: 815-455-8785 or www.mchenry.edu/artgallery

About Hunter Cole
Hunter Cole is an artist who combines drawing with photography using the medium of bioluminescent bacteria — bacteria which produces its own light. A Chicago-based artist, Cole is known for her work, which reinterprets science through art. She has worked in various media including painting, drawing, digital media, video, music and sound, and multi-media installations. Cole holds a Ph.D. and Master's degree in genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of California-Berkeley. Currently, she is a professor in the Biology Department at Loyola University Chicago, where she teaches a course in “Biology Through Art,” where students work to create art in a biology laboratory. Visit her website at www.huntercole.org.

To schedule an interview with Hunter or for additional information, please contact her at 773-573-7451 or email huntercolemail (at) gmail (dot) com

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