David Goodsell

David Goodsell artistically expresses his scientific background in elaborate, colorful renderings of molecules. Trained and still practicing as a molecular biologist, Goodsell illustrates the detailed inner workings of cells in intricate works that combine digital illustrations of biomolecules with hand-drawn and painted elements. “Biological systems are a source of constant amazement for me,” he says. Goodsell’s work exists in a long tradition of scientific imagery that doubles as fine art and has overtones of nature painting. Although his work does not depict objects that are visible to the human eye, it renders the microscopic foundations of nature visible, presenting seemingly abstract images within the rubric of representational painting.