Microsculpture by Levon Biss

Astonishing exhibition at the British Library of high magnification photographs of insects by photographer Levon Biss.

Created through a collaboration between the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and artists each extraordinary image was made up of approximately 8,000 individual photographs of the specimen in up to 30 different sections. Each section was lit in a specific way via a microscope stage.

These works were shown in large format and revealed every detail of the insect alongside good descriptions of them. My favourite was the underside of a tortoise beetle whose detail created an almost abstract image. The works were hard to photograph in the show so I’ve used the poster image for the show of a colourful Marion Flightless Moth instead.

The library has bought three of these images which are currently in their Animals exhibition along with the specimens they are based on.

Closes 27 November 2023

 

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