Projecting the beauty of bacteria

with designer Caron Ang

Above: Monera Virga. © Caron Ang. All rights reserved.

Having trained as a gemmologist, Caron Ang brings together skills in jewellery and metalwork, while being inspired by scientific elements in her detailed artwork.

She takes on a broad spectrum of mediums, not just in metalwork but photography and performance art. We can see here some striking examples of the use of projection in her photography for the Symbiosis project, to open our eyes to the often overloooked beauty and biological importance of bacteria.

Q & A - Caron Ang

Please tell us about your background in art & design. What are your favourite mediums?

My main discipline is jewellery making, having done my bachelor’s degree in jewellery and metalwork in Sheffield, UK. Even though I’m actively involved in arts, I have always been drawn to the medical aesthetic and I love to dabble with scientific elements. Besides being an artist, I’m also a trained gemmologist and I’ve spent two years in the industry before deciding to pursue an MFA to develop my own practice.

My fascination with intertwining art and science along with my experience as gemmologist has undoubtedly shaped my practice and influenced my perspective of the world. For instance, after countless hours of studying gemstones using a microscope to see the finer inclusions (foreign material trapped in gemstones) that goes unnoticed to the naked eye, I was able to utilise that experience to discover similarities between the microscopic world of bacteria and the microscopic world of gemstones. When I observed my bacterial specimens, I noticed a lot of the patterns that the bacteria grew can easily be found in gemstones which is remarkable.

While previously I only considered metal as my medium to make jewellery, my practice-based approach led me to expand beyond a jewellery making discipline and crossing into other fields like microbiology, performance art and photography. It is very enriching because it allows me to see and understand things from a different viewpoint. My favourite medium to use is definitely projection because it allows me create visually striking photos.

Why did you start the project Symbiosis?

Anatomical themes are constantly a feature in my work and my project explores the fascinating microworld of bacteria. As a person, I am mindful of my health and cleanliness, even if it means washing my hands every so often while working, which is a handy trait when it comes to handling specimens and inoculating bacteria to prevent contamination.

As a jewellery maker, I am drawn to minute details in the petri dish made visible to the naked eye of what usually goes unnoticed in our immediate surroundings and even on our bodies. In essence, I combined these two aspects of myself as I conducted a series of experiments through growing bacteria which resulted in Symbiosis.

The purpose of Symbiosis is to reframe people’s perspective of bacteria, which is usually negative. Bacteria, the world’s oldest living organisms, are usually incorrectly assumed to be harmful and disgusting by the general public.

In addition to that, Symbiosis is also created to question people’s notion of jewellery through an artistic investigation of bacteria. The utilisation of something miniscule, unseeable and untouchable makes for a unique material to work with. It only seems natural to make use of microbes considering how they are continually in our surroundings and how we benefit from their hard work within our bodies. They are essentially a part of us. Through that, I hope to instil within people an appreciation for the symbiotic relationship we share with the microscopic creatures as well as their lesser seen beauty.

Please discuss some pieces you’ve shared with us and what they represent.

Through my learning process, I was granted opportunities to incorporate microbiology, photography and performance art into my practice. By having a holistic approach, I was able to capture and portray the beauty of bacteria in a unique way.

By growing bacteria and then projecting them onto the soft curves of the body, I strive to show their beauty, a side that is hardly seen, in harmony with us. The projection also explores the vulnerability of have something so small and unnoticeable magnified and then projected on bare skin, enforcing the notion that there is no barrier between us and them. Interestingly, certain projections on bare skin do give a different effect. While some can resemble galaxies and look alien, some are reminiscent of tattoos.

I also find that with each photo, I developed a temporary identity, a feeling that is akin to being the face of bacteria. At one point, I was scrutinising every facial expression in the photo and I eventually settled on neutral and peaceful expressions to better reflect the harmonious relationship we share with bacteria.

With your projects, how have you adapted to the challenges of the past two years and what are your next plans in 2022?

Over the course of two years, my project has seen many changes through my continuous experimentation but it was not always a smooth sailing journey. When the pandemic first hit there were many restrictions in everyday and academic life. Spending a lot of time in my tiny room in the student halls allowed me to think about my concept in depth. Wearability was always an issue for me in the initial stages as I have always envisioned the outcome of Symbiosis to be wearable.

As I progressed, it became less about making something wearable and more about showing the lesser seen beauty of bacteria in harmony with the body. This also formed the incorporeal nature of Symbiosis as the projections themselves are just an illusion. In place of creating tangible objects, I chose to curate a series of photos.

As jewellery refers to ornamentation on the body, wearability should arguably not be a deciding factor for whether an object is jewellery, no matter if its tangible or not. With everything going online during the pandemic, the digital photos can be easily shared with the wider world.

Symbiosis has ignited an interest in the emerging design movement called biodesign where artists, scientists and designers integrate organic processes and materials into the creation of buildings, products and clothing. I hope to be a part of this movement through my desire to rework how we view bacteria.

Final thoughts

As an experimental artist inspired by nature and science, Caron Ang started the project Symbiosis to present a fresh perspective of bacteria to the public eye. The key underlying message is that bacteria is not purely harmful, but useful and essential in life’s intricate ecosystems. By projecting the bacteria onto human bodies, she reminds us abaout how bacteria are an essential part of us and the planet.

Bio

Caron Ang is a Malaysian designer who has recently graduated from Ulster University with an MFA in Design. Having worked exclusively with metal previously, Caron’s practice has branched out to include other disciplines like photography, performance art and a little bit of microbiology which allows her a fluid approach. Caron is also a trained gemmologist and has spent time using a microscope to authenticate gems, which inspired her to seek out miniscule details in everyday life and to magnify them.

Links

Instagram: @caronangdesign