Ideograph (2007)

Video projection commissioned by the ESRC Genomics Policy and Research Forum at the University of Edinburgh, for the Genomics Network conference at Westminster, London in October of 2007. Ideograph is the sib of Three Times True (also commissioned by the GPRF), and continues the genomic theme in a more figurative format. The images are derived from a large digital drawing depicting current areas of research or application in genomics.

The animation explores and transforms these images into biological forms reminiscent of growing cells or the folding of proteins.In general usage an ideogram/ideograph (both of which mean roughly "idea writing") is a character or symbol representing a word, idea or concept but not necessarily how it should be spoken. Chinese characters are often used as an example of ideographs, but the explicitly designed and authored biohazard symbol is an ideograph, too. Ideographs also appear- in the form of Japanese kanji and kana- in my other genomic animation Three Times True.

Geneticists have their own very specific usage of the word 'ideogram'; it's a schematic representation of a chromosome. These diagrams show the chromosome's relative length, the banding pattern of nucleotides within it and the location of the centromere (the central, "pinched" part that creates the Y shape of a Y chromosome, for example.)

More stills from Ideograph:

A very limited edition, eponymous book of images from the 'Three Times True' installation, accompanied by new texts, was published by the Genomics Forum in August of 2007. ISBN 978-0-9556330-0-3. Copies are available from the Forum for £14.99, or from Amazon.

Images from the book are on the Three Times True page.

I wrote an article about genomics and the idea of a new Enlightenment for the Scottish art magazine MAP (issue 9, Spring 2007). It's easy to find because 'Three Times True' is also on the cover. You can buy the magazine at art galleries all over the UK, including Tate Modern in London.

Read The ( ) Age online.