Day and Night illuminates the origins of the scientist’s approach, i.e., the sources of bio-inspiration for their work, and places these in juxtaposition with the nanostructures of the artificial materials inspired by them. The use of a “hidden” second layer in these images is a reference to the power of photography itself to suggest truths.

The aim of this series of experiments was to create a series of dual layer works which confront artificial materials with the natural structures that inspired them. To achieve the layering, we intended to screen-print images of the artificial materials with a photochromic ink over photographs of the natural structures, with the screen-printed images visible only at “night”, under UV or blue light. This experiment explores the power of photography to reveal hidden secrets and the photographic film development process itself, in which images in the film appear from darkness in the developer. The works should showcase both the artist’s photography as well as the bio-inspired materials produced at the AMI.