Developmental Leave Show
September 13 – November 19, 2018
Artist Statement
Approximately every five years Olin faculty members have the opportunity to spend a semester, or in some cases two semesters, on their scholarly pursuits without teaching, advising or committee responsibilities. During the spring semester of 2018 and through this past summer break I enjoyed working on several art projects that are shown here. The exhibit presents three threads of investigation utilizing digital photography as the medium of choice. Normally one would expect an exhibit to focus on a single theme but in this case the exhibit is about the period of time available to me and the work that emerged as a result. The images are dated according to the year they were digitally captured. The effort of editing the raw files and producing the finished pieces for exhibition was done during the 2018 leave period. I am currently Professor of Biology and Art and the Michael E. Moody Professor and I have been a faculty member since 2001. This is my first exhibition at Olin.
New Zealand Images
One thread of my work concerns the profound respect and sense of wonder that I feel for the natural world from the molecular level to the biosphere. As a scientist I have directly explored biological relationships and as an artist I have also investigated natural phenomena.
For nearly all of my adult life I wished to visit New Zealand and it became possible because of my developmental leave. In the spring (which is fall in New Zealand) I was able to visit much of the South Island and part of the North Island. Rising before dawn to catch the sunrise and lingering until nightfall to record the play of light on the surrounding environment was an experience I will long remember. I hope that as you view the images you gain a sense of the beauty of the diverse locations and of those quiet moments of solitude.
The Human Constructed Environment
A second thread of my work concerns a curiosity about the structures that humans create and the inevitability of mortality over time for their creators and for the structures themselves. Three examples of this line of investigation are shown here. The telephone company in Havana, Cuba was completed in 1927 and has deteriorated since it’s confiscation in 1960 by the Castro government, while the Woqod oil company headquarters is barely four years old and stands as a testament to advanced building technology, contemporary architectural aesthetics, and the emergence of Qatar’s economic power. The 15th century palace Ca’ Sagredo is supported by enormous hands that emerge from the Grand Canal in Venice. The hands sculpture by Lorenzo Quinn speaks eloquently to the effects of climate change due to human activities and the impact on our cultural heritage.
Portraits
The third thread concerns portraits of the people I know and objects that represent the fictional and sometimes absurd world in which we live. The images shown are the most recent manifestations of my interest in this area.
The image Portrait of My Father represents an attempt to come to terms with a complex person who I miss very much since his death three years ago. As an adult I had the opportunity to get to know him well as a person and a father. The picture of the zebra sculpture mounted on top of a cement mixer entitled Of Course I Have the Absolute Right to Pardon Myself, is a metaphor for the surreal political world in which we now live.
Artist Bio
An artist and scientist for her entire adult life, Dr. Helen Donis-Keller observes, investigates, and interprets the natural world. Her love of biology often drives a desire to facilitate access to genetic ideas through visual art. Initially she studied graphic design and photography for four years as an undergraduate at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Architecture and Art and she worked professionally in the fields of graphic design and photography prior to discovering the excitement of biological research. She received a B.Sc. in natural science and an Honours B.Sc. in biology from Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada, a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University, and an MFA in studio art from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Tufts University. She was also awarded a Doctor of Science Degree (Honoris Causa) from Lakehead University.