2019
raw and carded laboratory alpaca fiber, video loop on screen in acrylic enclosure, stainless steel
installation dimensions variable, video TRT: 2 minutes, 13 seconds
Conformations explores the poetic resonance of the phrase “conformational states”, used in biology to describe the folded and unfolded states of proteins. The installation incorporates the familiar material of wool as a tangible metaphor for less tangible abstract biological concepts. Raw wool shorn from laboratory alpacas is situated in contrast to carded fiber that is now ready to be spun. The video depicts the tools and processes used to transform the wool from one form to another—raw, carded, spun. The change in form allows new potential for use, drawing analogy to the role a conformational state plays in protein function.
Conformations explores the poetic resonance of the phrase “conformational states”, used in biology to describe the folded and unfolded states of proteins. The installation incorporates the familiar material of wool as a tangible metaphor for less tangible abstract biological concepts. Raw wool shorn from laboratory alpacas is situated in contrast to carded fiber that is now ready to be spun. The video depicts the tools and processes used to transform the wool from one form to another—raw, carded, spun. The change in form allows new potential for use, drawing analogy to the role a conformational state plays in protein function.
...Through a diverse range of media and techniques, Laura Splan weaves a multifarious narrative of science. At times, Splan’s work brings to mind the Brothers Grimm, the miller’s daughter spinning straw into gold, a transmutation of material through manual labor and a bit of magic, unlocking secrets through a process of attribution...
Project Support provided by The Science Center Bioart Residency, Integral Molecular, Esther Klein Gallery, The Knight Foundation, Lampire Biological Laboratories
Exhibitions include Esther Klein Gallery
