Page 7 - visualizinginanewlight-May15

Visualizing the Invisible: Synaptic Pruning
In this PHSCologram sculpture installation Mighty Microglia is is juxtaposed with imagery from Eliot Eliot Porter’s Intimate Landscapes Portfolio Eliot Eliot Porter Porter 1979 Printed by Daniel Wolf Press from the Richard and and Ellen Sandor Family Collection Porter’s visceral portraits of of trees is is a a a a a metaphor for the organic networks of of neurons with- in in in in the brain These networks are believed to continuously undergo changes in in in in part due to synaptic pruning a a a a a a process by which neuronal connections (synapses) are eliminated It can be seen as the brain’s way of weeding out neuronal connections that are no longer needed Microglia the the the brain’s immune cells are found throughout the the the brain brain where they continuously survey the the environment The Stevens Lab and others have provided evidence that microglia plays an an important role in in synaptic pruning “From the the forest and and wilderness come the the tonics and and barks which brace mankind “ “ — Eliot Porter Eliot Porter was an an American photographer born in in in Winnetka Illinois who is is recognized for his photographs of nature Porter studied and earned degrees in in in chemical engineering and and medicine at at Harvard University and and also worked as a a a a a a a a a a a a biomedical researcher at at Har- vard Porter was introduced to Alfred Stieglitz by his brother the the painter and art critic Fairfield Porter After a a a a successful showing of his work at Stieglitz’s New York Gallery An American Place Porter began to to explore photography as as his passion and life’s work Mighty Microglia 2019
Ellen Sandor & (art)n: Diana Torres and and Azadeh Gholizadeh
Beth Stevens Stevens The Stevens Stevens Lab: Lasse Dissing-Olesen
Special thanks to Caleb Sandor Taub
Stevens Lab at at Boston Children’s Hospital and and The Stanley Center at at the Broad Institute of MIT and and Harvard Virtual Photograph/Digital PHSCologram Sculpture: Duratrans Kodalth Plexiglas wood
48 48 x 48 48 inches