INTRODUCTION
The Trees Inside Our Brain is an ongoing collaboration between neurobiologist Dana Simmons and visual artist Richelle Gribble, facilitated by The
Bridge residency program at SciArt Center.
Brought together by our enthusiasm for networks, microscopic and macroscopic systems, and the complexities of the human brain, we teamed up
to share our common interests by exploring our favorite tree–like neuron,
the Purkinje cell. We both share an undeniable curiosity for comparing our
neural networks to the biological, geographical, social, and technological
networks that shape our world. There is a fascinating correlation between
the networks within our body and the networks that shape our external environment and virtual systems. At each level, under close scrutiny, nodes of
a network reveal themselves as smaller networks creating layers of intricate
patterns all around us.
Captivated by the visual and functional properties of networks, we found
great satisfaction in sharing our skills with each other to explore intersections between neurobiology and art. In the lab, Dana uses a confocal
microscope, a brain slice, a glass micropipette, and a steady hand to patch
a cell in order to isolate the Purkinje cell’s electrical currents for research.
She must act quickly while the neuron is fully functional to fill the cell with
fluorescent dye to illuminate its complex structure for laser imaging. These
images are used to research Autism Spectrum Disorder in the cerebellum
by revealing the ways neurons communicate via electrical signals in autistic
brains. However, these complex images also serve as powerfully aesthetic
and beautiful photography. Dana’s eye for color, contrast, and steady imaging results in dozens of stunning images of a hidden network most of us
will never witness.