The Power of Blue

The Power of Blue 2008

The inspiration for The Power of Blue came from my research at the rare book library at Washington University where I discovered the Badinus Manuscript, an Aztec medical text of healing plants from 1552. It is considered the first medical text of the Americas. It is combined with my interest in protecting the environment, specifically the sea. Experts have said that the world’s oceans may harbor the next generation of powerful, healing drugs. Already, doctors are working with horseshoe crab blood (blue in color) to detect dangerous endo-toxins within the body and a type of blue-green algae shows promise as the next treatment for cancer. Captured in the swirling nets are images of healing plants and horseshoe crabs.

The donor wall was created by having healing plants from the 1552 manuscript laser cut in steel and sandblasted in glass

Commissioned by The Goldfarb School of Nursing, Washington University, St Louis