A N N C O N N E L LY F I N E A R T BRANDON BALLENGÉE GHOSTS OF THE GULF
RIP African Pompano, 2014 Archival GiclĂŠe on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
ANN CONNELLY FINE ART
Artist and biologist Brandon Ballengée creates multi-media artworks inspired from his ecological field and laboratory research. Ballengée’s art has been exhibited internationally in over 20 countries, and he has received numerous awards and fellowships. The artist holds a Ph.D. in Trans-disciplinary Art and Biology from the University of Plymouth (England). Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science studying the impact of the 2010 oil spill on species found in the Gulf of Mexico. He recently received a Creative ‑Capital Award and delivered a TEDxLSU talk.
RIP Atlantic Guitarfish, 2014 Archival GiclĂŠe on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
ANN CONNELLY FINE ART
RIP Bluntnose Stingray, 2014 Archival GiclĂŠe on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
“To create these images I used a process of chemically clearing and staining species I collected from the gulf since the 2010 oil spill disaster. These specimens were found already dead after the spill, and I wanted to analyze them through the clearing and staining process to screen them for anatomical deviations or developmental malformations. These particular species were once common but are now possibly in decline; they appear here as apparitions.â€? - Brandon BallengĂŠe
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RIP Parrot Fish, 2014 Archival Giclée on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
RIP Triggerfish, 2014 Archival GiclĂŠe on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
ANN CONNELLY FINE ART
RIP Atlantic Lookdowns, 2014 Archival Giclée on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
The clearing and staining process involves firstly preserving specimens then placing them in an acid bath with blue stain, which adheres to cartilage. Next the specimens are masticated in a digestive enzyme called trypsin, which begins the clearing of other tissues. Then the specimens are bathed in an alkaline solution with red dye which bonds with bone. The final stages transition the specimens through a series of baths from Potassium Hydroxide to glycerin whereby the specimen tissues become transparent except for the bones and cartilage, which are vividly dyed red and blue. The final specimen looks like a brightly colored x-ray revealing the complex architectural anatomy of these beautiful and disappearing species.
ANN CONNELLY FINE ART
RIP Texan Clearnosed Skate, 2014 Archival Giclée on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
RIP Batfish and Butterflyfish, 2014 Archival GiclĂŠe on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
ANN CONNELLY FINE ART
RIP Florida Pompano, 2014 Archival GiclĂŠe on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
RIP Gulf Silversides, 2014 Archival GiclĂŠe on Handmade Japanese Rice Paper, 18x24
Proceeds from the sales of the Ghosts of the Gulf exhibition at Ann Connelly Fine Art will support Atelier de la Nature's outdoor educational programming and nature reserve.
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