Constrained Proliferation

Well, having taken not a single photograph today, I’m falling back on some shots I took of Selfridges window display. I find window displays - particularly in London - offer rich opportunities in terms of images such as this one displaying artworks of Rong Bao, a young Chinese artist.  It’s refreshing to see stores as art galleries rather than simply commercial hotbeds, Bao’s work ‘Life Forms’ described as ‘using vivid sculptures inspired by biology to explore connections between human life, technology, and nature. Bao reimagines complex scientific concepts, from cell division to the rhythm of breathing, offering a visual interpretation that feels both contemporary and contemplative.’ 

Walking from our hotel I came across these bizarre inflatable sculptures and just had to photograph them. My main is ‘Constrained Proliferation’ which asks the question how living organisms respond to constrained environments, with a black cage compressing a translucent inflatable lifeform in the middle of cell division - apparently a comment on life’s fragility and resilience. 

My reflection in the glass possibly adds to the surreal quality of the image which I e reversed so that the reflection of M&S reads correctly. In extras there’s a collage of some of the other displays.