On exhibition now through January at the American Museum of Natural History is fantastic sounding exhibit: EXTREME MAMMALS !  Looks like the webdesigners had some fun putting the exhibit site together — there’s no holding back on the sensationalism of the crazy creatures on view.

As the museum itself claims:

“Featuring spectacular fossils and other specimens from the Museum’s collections, vivid reconstructions, and live animals, the exhibition examines the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny, from speedy to sloth-like, and displays animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns.”

It also boasts multimedia use, hands on displays, and live sugar gliders.  AND, there’s even mention of the science tabloids latest headlines, Darwinius masillae, or Ida: definitely not a missing link but still a wonderfully preserved primitive mammal specimin.

Check out the Chinese pangolin echidna below.

Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), © AMNH/D. Finnin

More images, discussions, reviews, etc. below:

Exhibition Site

Born Animal Discovery News blog

New York Times review

Wired article

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The NIH  Biological Visualization Interest Group is worth looking into if you work in the medical arts field.  Its purpose is to facilitate communication between those working in the biological (and especially molecular) visualization fields — there are monthly meetings 5:30 every 1st Monday of the month in the NIH library, and a list serv that’s free to join.

Here’s an interesting Seed magazine article on improvisation, spontaneous creativity, and the brain.  Several musicians were asked to improvise while their brains were scanned.  There were a couple interesting findings, one of which is that they found right before the musicians began playing, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) had a decreased output — i.e., inhibiting inhibitions is important in improvising.

Tom Shannon is a sculptor whose work may fall into more the scientific than biological visualization field, but nevertheless his work is fascinating.   Conceptually, the sculptures are based on astronomical proportions, like the distance between the sun, moon, and earth.  Technically, he uses magnets extensively, and because of this his work often seems gravity defying.  His website is above, and there’s a Ted presentation below!

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Below are selected works by Lindsay Feuer – a porcelain artist who creates wonderfully odd ceramics. They are especially enigmatic because they seem both familiar and foreign — the detail work and sub parts of her sculptures could very well be straight from nature, but the combination of all the parts in a whole makes for something much more imaginative. Some look half plant, half creature, and although they are frozen in their form, have a surprising amount of fluidity and motion in them.
From her statement:

“Inspired by the mysteries of nature, pieces deliver an animated and fantastical view of our biological surroundings. I invite my audience to draw upon their experience and imagination, and to discover a unique reality for each piece.”

Beyond what’s shown below, there’s lots more to see on Feuer’s website.

Gallery 2005-06 Image 13 - by Lindsay Feuer

gallery 2005-06 image 8 - by Lindsay Feuer

gallery 2003, image 1 - by Lindsay Feuer

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I ran across these fabulous vases online by porcelain artist Jennifer McCurdy.  Living in Martha’s Vineyard, she is drawn and responds to patterns and cycles in nature, creating strong and dynamic forms from a fragile medium.

Wave Candle Vase #2 6x6x6 - Jennifer McCurdy

Flame Candle Vase #2 6x5x5

Jungle Leaf Vessel #1 10x12x12 - Jennifer McCurdy

Lots more images to peruse in her gallery.

via IUP GRAD CRIT

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Check out this short Discovery Channel How It’s Made clip about anatomical models!  The material process is pretty interesting, although I’m not sure I envy the artist that traces veins, arteries, and nerves all day long.

via Bioephemera, Morbid Anatomy

see also this interesting Revealed blog post about anatomical models.

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