Erin McIntosh - Microbe No. 12 1000 Piece Puzzle

Athens artist Erin McIntosh works primarily in abstraction, so it may be a surprise to learn that her "Microbes" series of paintings aren't abstract at all. A few years ago, she started working with colleagues in the biology department at the University of North Georgia (UNG), where she teaches in the department of visual arts. Together, they worked on an art exhibition focused on microorganisms to see if art could correct public misconceptions about these tiny creatures. McIntosh spent time in the lab, looking at slides under a microscope, but the images that resulted aren't exactly true to life. Instead, she used them as a jumping off point to create images full of layered color and organic shapes, which she continued making even after the project concluded. "Microbe no. 12" is from that series and, indeed, it calls to mind the scientists of "Fantastic Voyage," floating among neurons and red blood cells that dwarf them.Despite the complex, layered nature of the images, McIntosh say