Adam Summers dyes fish specimens to reveal their anatomy
shark
Washington-based professor Adam Summers
uses marine specimens collected from fishing operations as the medium
in an artistic project revealing the anatomical structure of sea
creatures. using two dyes – alcian blue to stain cartilaginous
elements and alizarin red to turn tissue a shade of crimson — summers
then lightly bleaches the species to remove dark pigments, leaving a
snow-white fish. the stained skeletal tissues create visibility through
the skin and flesh, exposing the biological innards as vibrantly colored
matter. images are captured while the examples are fully submerged in
glycerin; a large reservoir the compound is placed on a color corrected
LED light table and the fish is posed in place. in its final stage, the
still shots are not only mesmerizing on an aesthetic scale, but also
gives a rare glimpse of the underlying structure of the animal,
visualizing their vertebrates, skeletons, and soft tissues.