Michael Dingley: Innervisions

MICHAEL DINGLEY: Innervisions

The title for this exhibition arrived from my ability to locate and isolate compositions from within the microscopic world using prepared microscope slides, microscopes and a range of lighting techniques. These tools have enabled me to compose and enhance features not normally seen by people who use such instruments. Several images were created from crystals prepared by me which had to be formulated, manipulated and photographed with 30 minutes of making them as they are normally affected by room temperature and humidity affecting their structure. The result is that none of these crystal images can ever be revisited, therefore they are unique.

The remaining images (correctly termed photomicrographs) have been isolated from a variety of prepared microscope slides that are normally found in most biology laboratories that teach microscopy. Some discoveries have been made using very old, badly prepared or badly stored slides where, due to temperature, age or damage contains artefacts that allow me to see minutiae that I then record. My aim is to communicate my ideas so that the viewer may visualize them.

I use digital cameras mounted on top of microscopes and use a variety of bright field, polarization, dark ground and oblique lighting techniques to produce my images. I make minimal manipulations on the computer and adjust contrast and remove unsightly artefacts such as air bubbles, dirt and detritus that are present in the prepared slides.

The images presented here in “Innervisions” have been purposely printed small to compel the viewer to get up close and examine the details just as if they were peering into a microscope thereby giving a new dimension or aspect to looking at art in galleries.

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