The Flame of Life
The Flame of Life
In response to mitochondrial research undertaken by Gavin McStay, Charlotte Morrison explores the life of the mitochondria through handmade porcelain pieces and creative writing.
The mitochondrion is probably best known for being the ‘powerhouse’ of our cells. Not an insignificant job to have – for everything in our existence relies on it functioning well.
However, current research indicates that it is so much more than that. But how much more? What does it do? How does it do it? How does it organise itself within our cells to meet our constantly changing needs for energy? And if it fails – how does that alter our lives?
These are some of the questions that are evident in ‘The flame of life’ where the composition of porcelain and text pieces speak of changes in activity, collaboration and decay within cells – and ultimately in our lives.
Artist – Charlotte Morrison
Charlotte makes work that explores the human condition. She is particularly interested in differences between medical and personal interpretations of the body.
Working with a wide range of materials, she creates small collections of objects and text. Her work has been exhibited in the UK and Scandinavia.
Scientist – Gavin McStay
Senior Lecturer, Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University
Gavin’s research focuses on understanding the processes involved in mitochondrial formation and how genetic abnormalities
disrupt these processes, with the ultimate goal of developing therapies to correct these defects.