The Dark Side of Beauty

"The moment one give close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." ~ Henry Miller

"Influenza", by Laura Splan

Laura Splan has got to be one of the most interesting artists i have found as of late. One of my favorite works is her 'Doilies' collection. Laura took a rendering of the protein structure for a number of virulent viruses, sent them to a computerized embroidery machine, and voila!

Not only do these doiles beat anything grandma whipped up for her sofa, they are representitive of the beauty of even the smallest things in nature. I mean, its a virus, right? just a bunch of protein (yes, and some genetic material). But, the symmetry, the uniformity, is all remarkable. And its not just viruses that have such nifty looking structures. Every organism on the planet has any number of interesting components, especiallt on the microscopic layer. Behold the glory of pseudostratified columnar epithelium!

I suppose that on a deeper level, Influenza shows us that even things with great beauty can harbor deadly secrets. As pretty as influenza might look, one who is infected with it would certainly describe it as anything but pleasant. This analogy carries over to many things other than the flu. Look at Belladonna (also known as Deadly Nightshade): Eating thee of these berries is enough to poision a child. If you, as an adult, feel inclined to eat a single leaf from this plant, it may well be the last thing you put in your mouth.

My point is, its some of the most (visibly) beautiful things in life that have the most sinister intentions. So watch out the next time your hiking along and see that charming little berrie on the side of the path.