WORDS: PANCAKE
PHOTOS: BILLY O'CALLAGHAN

When painter, Tiffany Bozic, agreed to spend eight months exploring the specimen collections at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, she didn’t realize what she was getting into. Neither did the institution. The resulting exhibit "From the Depths: Inspiring Science and Art" is a collaboration between Bozic, whose paintings are known for their rich colors, emotion, and meticulous detail with Invertebrate Zoologist and specialist in deep-sea organisms, Dr. Rich Mooi. I don’t get out much but when I do venture beyond my cave my venue of choice are natural history museums. Where else can you see the history of the earth unfold through Plexiglas?! When I heard the Academy opened the doors of the collections to an artist that came up with an exhibit centered on the deep sea, I had to check it out. Tiffany was kind enough to bring me through the exhibit and share with me a little about her creative process.

In the past, the subject-matter you depicted in many of your paintings was heavily influenced by birds, animals, plants and humans. Things from the terrestrial realm. What made you decide to explore a marine theme for this exhibit and was this subject matter more or less of challenge to work with?
Lindsay Irving is the coordinator/dreamer for this project. As a friend, I had discussed this idea with her long before she actually pulled me aside and proposed this collaboration. One of her initial plans for this Artist in Residence Program was to challenge artists to use the experience working with the specimen collections as an opportunity to grow and try something new. She had already introduced me to the Academy’s bird and mammal collection, so I had already begun exploring the collection with a curator and collection manager. They were teaching me to skin specimens as well. In the back of her mind, she remembered that I had a deep appreciation for Ernst Haeckel, and knew a few things about fish species from being a licensed scuba diver. I have painted some ‘water-critter’ themed paintings, like Seahorses and Octopus, but always returned to the air breathers. So in the first conversations we shared we went over which department I could possibly team up with. Dr. Rich Mooi and the deep sea came up as a theme and we agreed. Luckily he was very supportive and willing to work with us. It just so happened that it turned out to be a perfect match. My meetings with Rich were all very organic, and very informal, relaxed and fun. For the actual exhibit, I worked up some plans and presented them to the Academy’s Exhibit team. In the end there were many people that were involved in the process of bringing this idea to the public floor.

At the entrance of the exhibit, I immediately notice pencil sketches poised among huge jars of squid-like specimens. There must be thousands of jars like these in the collection rooms. What was it like to work with the specimens and how did you decide what to focus on?
In the Research Division, there are many large, fluorescent-lit, rooms with floor to ceiling shelves filled to the brim with specimens in jars, and only a select number of people ever get the opportunity to see them. I really felt like I was let in on a huge secret. So I thought I could show the ‘process’ by exhibiting the actual subjects that inspired each piece, along with the sketches that I made for each final painting, in addition to some text to capture a tiny window into the dialog between me, Rich and the Academy. I wanted to capture the best part (at least for me) about being an artist - the sense of shock and wonder. By focusing less on the outcome and more on the process of inspiration, the journey, and eventually the outcome being the final works. This turned out to be the perfect opportunity to start fresh by doing something that I have always wanted to see in a museum.

The fish tank displays are unlike anything I have seen before. Some of the animals in the tanks are featured in your paintings. Why did you decide to include live animals in tanks in this exhibit?
In the initial stages of the project Lindsay had spoken to Bart Shepherd, the curator of the Steinhart Aquarium, if he would be interested in working with us. He thankfully, was down as well. He made it possible for the exhibit to literally come to life. Through Rich, I had access to thousands of dead specimens to reference for detail, along with stories and answers for every question. Once Bart teamed up with us, I could study the living specimens. Since this had never been done before in a natural history museum, I had no guidelines to follow. I got to be involved in all kinds of fun nitty gritty details. I drafted the plans for the ‘step-tank’ for example because I wanted people to be able to look down into the tanks as well, like a tide-pool. In the end I selected some of my favorite specimens and based my paintings around what I knew would be available to include in the exhibit. I wanted people to see the original forms so they could feel inspired to take the image and fascination home in their heads and explore their own visions. I want people to feel inspired by the collections and walk away with a greater appreciation for natural history museums.

What was the biggest challenge working with live critters in aquaria?
There were some pretty funny obstacles to overcome, but everyone was flexible and down for the game. For example, we could only order fish that would be housed in the Academy’s new facility being built in town. There are thousands of species of fish, so where could I start? I wound up just writing a long wish list, and hoping for the best. Somewhere in the beginning I asked for a Leafy Sea Dragon and an Octopus. I laugh at myself now knowing how ridiculous it was to ask for something so decadent because apparently these are both extremely expensive and difficult to care for. We also had to consider the tanks and building codes like we can only have under 2’ of water depth per sq. foot on the second floor, and this of course affects which fish we can show in what tanks. We did get in some beautiful black juvenile ribbon eels, some sea urchins, flame scallops and blood red shrimps, pajama cardinals, and brittle stars etc. I am very proud of our little stars of the show and they seem happy as well. So it all worked out fine in the end.

Moving through the sketches, the tanks, the jars, we make our way to the rear of the exhibit where the final five paintings are displayed. I am drawn to the “Battle of the Deep”. Can you tell me the inspiration behind this “battle”?
Rich told me a story about one of his discoveries aboard a deep-sea submersible. He found out that these critters called crinoids, stalked sea lilies, which look kind of like flowers (their not – they are animals). The sea lilies can actually swim in a slow motion race against their predators; sea urchins. I couldn’t get this ‘city of lost children’ image out of my head; like a sea-bomb eating a flower. I thought that it was a beautiful way to explain how I feel when I am struggling with some of the issues in my own mind.

Rich sounds like a fascinating guy. What was the best part about working with a scientist?
I felt like we were 5 year olds running around. He is in love with life, and fascinated by all the different forms and shapes, patterns and details. He is also a very good artist. It is not often that you meet someone and within seconds you feel you’ve learned more than you did in an entire year. Everyday I felt like this. Oftentimes, we would be talking about tiny miniscule things, like the Aristotle’s lantern on an urchin, or the jaw apparatus of an Alaskan king crab. But to ME it somehow, like a kaleidoscope, changed the way that I see everything.

The menagerie of organisms caught up in the painting “the Silent Dredge”, are they all based on real animals or are some of them from your imagination?
Some of them are close to the original forms, but mostly I just made them up. The interesting thing I discovered when rummaging through stacks of deep-sea reference photos, was that these creatures are more bizarre and weird looking than anything I could possibly imagine. We only know a small fraction of what is down there at the bottom of our seas. The rest - we have no idea what they look like. So this became quite an interesting idea to explore, and I decided to run with it. If anyone is interested in the deep sea I suggest reading this book by Claire Nouvian “The Deep”. This book blew me away – and the imagery… I can’t say enough.

The scenes in your paintings make references to dredging and long-lining. They seem to give me a glimpse into a world that is rarely seen by humans but is never-the-less heavily impacted by humans. In your opinion, how has art played a role in helping us understand the human impacts on the deep sea?
We are raking the life out of the seas faster than we can survey and understand it. It pains my heart to think about it. I hope there are more artists out there who are collaborating with environmental groups to help bring this message to a wider audience. I am certainly no preacher. All I can think of to do about this is talk about it in my work. As an artist, as a person, I feel a responsibility to explore and address all of the things that matter most to me. It’s not just the deep sea but also all life on earth, including humans. I have employed this metaphorical cast of characters to illustrate the idea that we as living entities are blindly battling with each other.

I really enjoyed the short film and the photographs throughout the exhibit. Tell me about these artists and why you included these media in the exhibit.
I wanted to highlight as much of the ‘behind the scene’s’ as possible. For me the best part of creating a painting is where I am discovering something, I am drawn into it, and I search for a way to filter it through my brushes. With Todd Bell’s film and Billy O’Callaghan’s photos we could take the audience along with us for the ride. Todd graciously helped out by making a short film of me, highlighting my process and working in my studio. Billy came in and documented the residency with still photos. With his camera he shot some of the collections, the research division, and worked to visually document the conversations between Rich and I. He also took photos of my paintings as they evolved in my studio. He captured in incredible detail the root of both Rich’s and my inspiration- the collections. They made it complete.

Are you pleased with how the exhibit worked out? How was the opening?
Yes, very much so. I was overwhelmed by all of the good energy from both the ‘outside world’ and the internal museum staff. The opening was pretty special, a lot of people from the community showed up and supported us.

I understand From the Depths is the last exhibit before the Academy closes and moves over to a new building in Golden Gate Park. Will you continue to work with the collections after the move?
They couldn’t stop me if they tried. That’s the greatest part of this whole experience. It’s not a one-off experience – we are establishing a community.

What is your favorite marine invertebrate?
I don’t know. That’s a funny question, Pancake. There’s really no way I can answer that, I love so many. But I suppose I did wind up painting some of my favorites for this show.

Do you think art and science can coexist?
I can’t see how they can exist without each other.

I understand you were the first artist to participate in the Artist in Residence program at the Academy. Any advice to the next artists?
I try to be careful with advice. But, I think I can think of one useful tip:
Listen and learn about all the amazing things that the scientists have to say about the life forms that brought you together. The stories - life, the variation, the struggles.
All of the scientists and curators are extremely busy and are making sacrifices in their schedule to take you through the collection simply because they love what they are studying and they want to share it with you. If you are fortunate enough to have some of their time, stay humble, appreciative and sincere, and respect the collection like it were priceless (because it is!). It is an opportunity to grow from one of the greatest experiences you may ever have.

What next, a residency with David Attenborough? Can you give us a hint on what you are working on next?
I have another solo show at BLK MRKT Gallery in Culver City LA on May 24th,2008.

"From the Depths: Inspiring Science and Art" was on display at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California from November 15, 2007 to January 6 , 2008. For more information see www.calacademy.org/exhibits/air