From the Depths - California Academy of Sciences - November 2007
SAN FRANCISCO (October 1, 2007)
What would happen if the California Academy of Sciences’ marine invertebrate collections were explored through the eyes of a contemporary painter? Visitors can find out in From the Depths, an upcoming science and art exhibit at 875 Howard Street. Featuring large-scale paintings and sketches by local artist Tiffany Bozic, this exhibit will transport visitors into the depths of both the ocean and the imagination, and present an artist’s vision of the life-and-death drama that unfolds beneath the sea. The exhibit also includes photographs, preserved specimens from the Invertebrate Zoology collection, and artfully designed tanks with live fish.
This exhibit is the result of a year-long collaboration between Bozic and Dr. Rich Mooi, curator of Invertebrate Zoology & Geology at the Academy. Despite examining the museum collections from very different perspectives, they found common ground in their passion for discovery and understanding life. Nature’s ability to inspire both artist and scientist will form an important theme throughout the exhibit.
From the Depths will debut at an evening reception on Thursday, November 15 from 5 - 9 pm. Thereafter, it will be available for viewing every day from 10 am - 5 pm, until the Academy’s Howard Street facility closes on January 6, 2008.
Bozic is one of the first participants in the Academy’s Artist in Residence program. Based in Oakland, her work often incorporates richly pigmented acrylic paint on solid maple wood panels. She is said to be inspired by John James Audubon and Ernst Haeckel, but dives more deeply into the imaginary and darker aspects of the natural world. She has spoken at art and design conferences and shown in galleries throughout the United States and Europe.
The California Academy of Sciences, the fourth largest natural history museum in the United States, is home to Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium, and the Natural History Museum. The Academy is in the midst of an extensive rebuilding project in Golden Gate Park. Pritzker prize-winning architect Renzo Piano is designing the new Academy, which is expected to open in October 2008.