Friday 26 December 2014

Maggie Leininger: Specimen

Specimen by Maggie Leininger (image from a SDA conference brochure)
A few years ago I came upon this image of Maggie Leininger's Specimen in a Surface Design Association conference brochure. This ongoing series, presented in glass-topped aluminum watchmaker's cases, examines molecular microscopic images. I've been thinking about modular art since 2005, and Specimen fit the bill. Inspired, I bought a set of watchmaker's cases and discovered that if you insert a small circular rare-earth magnet between the textile and the tin, you can install the cases on the wall (you have to put a steel nail or screw with a decent sized head into the wall first for the magnet to work). Leininger's website is worth a long look. I especially appreciate her socially-engaged woven artwork, Rhythm, with Snow City Arts. Data visualization is on my radar and, once again, Leininger's Rhythm fits the bill.

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