$225.00 – $450.00
Available in two sizes:
16″ X 24″, limited edition of 50, $225 ($180 with grad student discount), framed $399.
24″ X 36″, limited edition of 25, $450 ($360 with grad student discount)
Stellate neurons are found all over the brain, from the cortex to the cerebellum, the hippocampus to the basal ganglia. Spiny stellates, so named because of their spine studded dendrites that splay outward like stars, are famously found in the basal ganglia where they help integrate our senses, memories, and best laid plans to make our decisions.
Of all my pieces, Spiny Stellate is one of my personal favorites. It is inspired by the asymmetric, Zen-like qualities found in traditional Chinese and Japanese minimalist screen and scroll painting, particularly from the Rimpa school of Japanese art. It is meant to bridge the gap between the macroscopic world of branching plants and the microscopic world of the branching neurons. Nature organizes itself into fractals, common shapes designed to maximize efficiency of function. Golden spines pepper the dendritic arboring of the stellate neuron like the blossoms on a cherry tree, the seeds of synapses that will blossom into ever more elaborate circuitry.
