Imagining the Invisible

I had the pleasure to talk about art and science, imagination and wonder in the work of Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel at Gladstone's Library in Hawarden, Wales on the 11th of September 2024.

This talk was part of Event 2024 hosting a Victorian Studies conference on the subject of Victorian 'moments of change'. A significant moment of change in the Victorian period was the publication of Charles Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’ in 1859, which opened the conversation around evolution and the position of humans within the web of life. The organic interplay of art and science, emerged through the knowledge exchange between Darwin and Haeckel enabled a revised role of art, and the role of imagination, in the understanding of the unseen structures of the natural world. Through Haeckel’s artistic depictions of the unseen, the complexities within the natural world became visible paving a renewed sense of connection with nature. Science not only inspired the work of Haeckel but also the use of imagination enabled him to achieve a sense of wonder in his artistic representations. As an artist myself, I talked about the role of imagination in connecting what we see with what we cannot see, linking it with the scientific work of Darwin and Haeckel. Imagination is key to produce my artistic work, which is informed by observation and the appreciation of the invisible to the naked eye.

My intention is to imagine what lies beyond our vision and manifest it visually, with the hope we can re connect with nature more meaningfully. During the talk, I also invited the attendees to take part in a short imagination exercise, which enabled everyone to switch off and connect with a "space for wonder''.

This was a great opportunity which has enabled me to communicate my thoughts and explorations through art and research and acknowledge the work of two great Victorians.