Artists-at-Work
Currently, artists and scientists are working among the palms at The Merwin Conservancy. We are pleased to feature the first artist, Gwen Arkin, and some of her work in process, and Dr. Gary Greenberg, 3D microscopic photographer and researcher. Each see the palms through their very unique lens:
Gwen Arkin: In Her Own Words
Gwen Arkin, photographer
Artists, poets and writers have long found creative inspiration in the forest, and I am no different. I am enraptured and inspired by the power of these environments. I have found artistic inspiration photographing the largest Cottonwood trees in North America, one of the largest stands of Aspens in the world, and the Bristlecone pine, the oldest living organism on the planet.
Gwen Arkin's color photo exploration
How blessed I feel to have been invited to create art in the palm garden of W.S. Merwin. Once again, the trees have proffered my muse in their ancient forms, sentries of a delicate and sublime natural kingdom.
Through my images I hope to recreate my own sense of awe and profound inspiration when in such an extraordinary place. I also hope to bring attention to the cultural and environmental importance of this and other rare forests. They are, after all, the keepers of our water source and the filters of the very air we breathe.
Gwen Arkin's photo exploration of the palms in B&W
Scientist At Work: About Gary Greenberg
Gary Greenberg has been using his special 3D microscopes to create spectacular landscapes of worlds beyond our everyday perception—worlds where reality is seen as abstract form and color, motion and texture. The secrets of nature are visible everywhere. Yet, they remain secrets until they are revealed. For Greenberg, art is a doorway through which we can more deeply embrace nature. His mission is to reveal the secret beauty of the microscopic landscape that makes up our everyday world. Greenberg shows us that the miracles of nature are tangible, and they can be seen directly through the microscope. When we commune with nature, we become conscious of our connection with the universe.
Patterns in Palms: The leaf of a palm magnified 200 times by Gary Greenberg
Dr. Greenberg focuses his microscopes on ordinary objects, such as grains of sand, flowers, and food. These everyday objects take on a new reality when magnified hundreds of times, revealing hidden aspects of nature. He shows us that ordinary objects are truly extraordinary when seen closely.
Initially a photographer and filmmaker, at the age of 33 he moved from Los Angeles to London to earn a Ph.D. in biomedical research from the University of London. Dr. Greenberg was an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California during the 1980’s. In 1990, he co-founded Edge-3D where he developed high-definition, three-dimensional light microscopes, for which he was issued eighteen US patents. Dr. Greenberg is currently the director of the Microscopy & Microanalysis Laboratory at the Advanced Technology Research Center Maui, HI, which is a branch of the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy. In 2009, Dr. Greenberg photographed moon sand collected during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission.
Patterns among palms: A palm leaf magnified 200 times by Gary Greenberg
Dr. Greenberg is currently a featured artist at the Science Museum of Minnesota with his exhibit, Exploring the Microscopic World of Sand. He has authored a fascinating book about sand grains under the microscope – A Grain of Sand: Nature’s Secret Wonder, published by Voyageur Press in 2008. Dr. Greenberg’s images of sand make us realize that as we walk along a beach we are strolling upon thousands of years of biological and geological history. For information about Gary Greenberg’s art, lectures, books, services and inventions see www.sandgrains.com.