Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus)
by Theresa Vance
pastel on paper, 16" x 22"
Drumfishes: A Family Portrait
With nothing before me apart from my pencils and paint brushes, I can only begin to understand my specimens. Yet the addition of my dissecting kit, coupled with intense visual examination, allows my understanding of the subject to heighten. As a conservative artist, I have been inspired by great talents such as Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer, who have demonstrated that recreating specimens from the inside out-integrating science and art-can result in works that demonstrate a unique function of image.
Although I began to pursue my artistic talents at a very early age, my interest in science expanded quickly during middle school. As subtle improvements in my artwork became conscious, I began to create my personal blend of art and science by using my experiences in one to aid my understanding of the other. This is illustrated in my senior obligation at Washington College.
The presentation before you illustrates my independent biological experiment entitled "A comparative study of sonic muscle innervation patterns of three Sciaenids: spot, croaker, and weakfish." Like many other teleostan fishes, members of the family Sciaenidae produce sounds via specialized sonic muscles associated with the swim bladder. The sounds, created by sonic muscle contraction, have been associated with antagonistic behavior, warning calls, and courtship rituals. While the sonic muscles of most teleosts are innervated by paired occipital nerves, innervation in Sciaenids proceeds via true spinal nerves. Excluding the Atlantic croaker, all Sciaenids are sexually dimorphic, meaning that only males possess sonic muscles.
When I began illustrating my experiment, my goal was very concrete. I wanted my artwork to aid my comprehension of the differing anatomies between species. In the beginning stages of experimentation, I decided to focus on illustrating the external anatomy of each fish. I chose to use pastels (with some charcoal) for the majority of my pieces to capture as much realism as possible in my drawings. I have found that pastels allow me to have more control over the small details of images. When these pieces were finished, I had completed most of the dissections and felt comfortable with the morphometric parameters of each fish. It was at this point that I began to map out the fishes' internal anatomies. For my last piece, I wanted to use the aesthetic properties of the fish in a more ideal, illustrative setting. As I have always found mosaics fascinating, I decided to tackle something new: glass as a medium.
At this point in my life, my current understanding of life and science as an artist allows me to step back and analyze the layers of medium that I present to you today. Through your responses, which invariably contribute to my awareness of differing artistic opinions, I can reach beyond my own notions. Yet I will always seek what I cannot see on the surface, for that is what is most important in my pursuit of some perfection as an artist, as a scientist, and as an individual.