Film Sketches for Shifting Worlds by Derek Hill and Dr Richard Daniel
Film Sketches for Shifting Worlds Information: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQteKPuE8QuMw3F65_zb1p3AtYoQo0xNq&si=OYkM2V4nS0T-2iqd
The link above is access to a sequence of nine short film sketches, copied and edited for streaming. The actual films are edited in 4K format for inclusion as future installations. These films were produced in 2019/20, stemming from five years of in-depth research into bacterial behaviour. The study was conducted from 2016 to 2020, collaborating with Dr Richard Daniel, a bacteriologist and senior lecturer at the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology (CBCB), Newcastle University. The playlist also includes two interactive slideshows from 2017-2019, showing images of research in the labs, the studio environment, installations, and everyday surroundings that continue to nurture art based on the theme Hidden Kingdoms Shifting Worlds.
Hidden Kingdoms Shifting Worlds: the Paintings, introduced by John Millard (former manager of Liverpool and Newcastle Museums): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQteKPuE8QuOHNERlXBbHc7deFr0kzv9k I contacted the CBCB in 2014 to learn more about infection and bacterial behaviour as a source for developing art. I wanted to delve into the mystery of this hidden world and its human impact, raising the question of mortality within the construct of nature. Interaction with the scientists was key to the collaboration. Our goal was to showcase the diversity of artwork inspired by the project. Derek Hill October 2024 “Generating interest in microbiology tends to be problematic as it is often difficult to translate basic research concepts into a form easily used for public engagement. Creating meaningful visual examples of our work in a format the public can understand is also a problem because a significant background understanding is required. Consequently, inquiries made by Derek Hill provided an ideal opportunity to formulate a way to generate interest in bacterial cell biology in a format that is more thought-provoking and concept-driven than hard scientific facts and observations. Between 2016 and 2020, Derek Hill explored various aspects of bacterial biology in conjunction with various researchers (primarily Prof. J. Errington, Prof. C. Harwood, and Dr R. Daniel, but also with a few postdoctoral researchers) in the Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology. Much of this work was classical bacterial strain isolation and culture characteristics combined with a series of visual explorations of bacterial interaction that contained elements of both the ongoing research in the university and, in some ways, were related to the inspiration that drives Derek’s artwork. Lab Research: “During the 5 or 6 years, Derek understood the basic principles of bacteriology and how to exploit culture methods to visualise the microbial world. This resulted in a collection of time-lapse film sequences and still images of various environmental bacterial spp. growing on solid surfaces. Here, he used both microscopy at high and low magnification to see the interaction of bacteria at the macroscopic level as colonies merge and at the microscopic level to see how the individual cells behave. Here, he overcame various complications to discriminate visually between bacterial species in the images and how to record their interaction without interfering with the process. The resulting film sequences perfectly demonstrate the dynamic nature of bacterial populations. They clearly show how each species has unique ways of multiplying and spreading over a surface and how they respond to competition by other species. Film Sequences: “The film sequences, in conjunction with aspects of Derek’s artwork, provided a novel and thought-provoking way to explore aspects of microbial interaction at a time when our comprehension of the complexity of the microbiome (the human bacterial flora as well as natural environments) was just starting to be fully appreciated, both clinically and environmentally. Consequently, these films, in combination with Derek’s other artwork, have the potential to be visually inspirational and have the potential to provide the foundations for discussion at both a scientific and artistic level. Funding limitations and events, particularly COVID-19, have restricted this work’s outputs. But despite this, the CBCB has been able to serve as a venue for the display of a limited number of Derek’s recent artwork and exhibitions of our collaborative work over the last few years and we hope to be able to continue this and build on concepts we have developed in the future. Richard Daniel, October 2024 Hidden Kingdoms Shifting Worlds, Exhibition: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/open-now-hidden-kingdoms-shifting-worlds-exhibition-baddiley-clark-building-newcastle/ Further Information: A Shift in Time: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/a-shift-in-time/ Artist at the CBCB: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/work/cat/artist-at-the-CBCB/ Further information: https://www.derekhill.co.uk/a-shift-in-time/ Dr. Richard Daniel: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/cbcb/staff/profile/richarddaniel.html#background About the CBCB: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/cbcb/about Artist’s Playlists: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCEncWmw9aBoL4KFf-96boeA/content/playlists Public Engagement: Richard Daniel