120 x 120 x 5cm 
 
This painting lies somewhere between reality and imagination. Loose brush marks and wild, bright, expressive colours are used to encourage a sense of molecules vibrating, a fascination stemming from research into molecular science. I am inspired by articles such as UCL’s, “Deep sea vents had ideal conditions for the origin of life” and videos like this one on youtube Your Body's Molecular Machines - YouTube. 
 
Whilst the painting technique presents a romantic vision of molecules vibrating, the subject and title draw inspiration from microbiology. This particular piece suggests one of the most profound events in the Earth’s history, believed to be fact by scientists today and explored in Ed Young’s book “I contain Multitudes, the microbes within us and the grander view of life.” Billions of years ago a freak accident happened in the oceans, when two prokaryotes (single cell organisms) collided, instead of the usual destruction of the weaker a symbiotic coalition was formed between a bacteria and an archeon. The bacteria was absorbed by the archeon to form a eukaryotic cell; it is believed this is where all complex life stemmed from. The bacteria that was absorbed by the archeon became mitochondria, the organic factories that gave these new cells at the time enough energy to form life like us. According to the research this only happened once in the planet's entire history. 
 
With these elements in place and the tribal painting style I invite the viewer to take a moment, stand back and absorb the vibrations of molecules, the dance of cells and the purely magical story of life. This painting is a shrine, an event paused in time so you can reflect and worship the tender and fragile origin of complex life.