A Clinical Trial

This work was produced as part of a print exchange in 2016 entitled 'Wondrous Transformation and Peculiar Nourishment: Celebrating the Engravings of Maria Sibylla Merian.' While Merian's engaging portraits of the insects of Surinam are fascinating, I find myself most compelled by her as an individual. I wondered if she felt perhaps more insect than human at time, more in touch with the beetles she illustrated than the predominantly male scientific illustrators who dominated her field. I wondered if she ever wanted to join them, in their little, colorful, complex lives. This piece was produced using monoprinted paper and chine colle techniques in conjunction with linoeum block relief printing. 'A Clinical Trial' was completed in April 2016.