Mapping with Edibles To see a World in a grain of sand, and a Heaven in a wild flower ; Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour. William Blake, Auguries of Innocence, 1808 These images map the interior structures and the poetic dimensions of common vegetables. Sophisticated technology makes the discovery of this world possible. This endeavor allows both the artist and the scientist in me to emerge together and work as one. When I projected the plant fibers by chance, I was surprised by their magical nature. They are at the same time chaotic and orderly, microscopic and macroscopic, familiar yet mysterious. Their drawings are sometime graphic and other times calligraphic. The scope and range of the natural fiber are limitless. I was so captivated by these images that I was compelled to make the glass transparencies with plant fibers. At first I manipulated the organic fibers to create specific images. Later I let the fibers reveal themselves. The experience of seeing these images has been humbling for me. I realize once more that no matter how I try, my efforts cannot surpass what nature has already created. My dreams and passions for these images were intuitively recognized as meaningful and then expressed by means of technology. In this group of work I aim to demonstrate how science can serve as a promoter of nature, and how nature can be an inspiration for art. June 2001 Youngja Lee
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