Before taking this class, and watching this film, I had never been introduced to radiolaria. I discovered that they are unicellular organisms that are structured out of silica, and are found deep beneath the ocean’s surface. They are one of the oldest skeletonized species, as they are roughly five hundred million years old.
After flashing several radiolarians and their intricate designs, the film began to introduce Heckel, describing him as someone who was fascinated with the convergence between art and science. His interest in the sea was something that I enjoyed listening to, as I also love learning more about the ocean and all of its mysteries. At the time, people believed that there was nothing living in the ocean. The film described the moment when a group of people crossed the Atlantic to lay telegraph cables, connecting America with Europe. They explained how when some of the cable broke off, they would reel it back to the boat and discover crustaceans and other life attached to the cable.
Over his lifetime, Heckel discovered over four thousand radiolarians on the ocean floor, and studied and drew the complexities and beauties of many of them. The film didn’t really introduce me to the relationship between science and art for the first time, as I have done many geometric paintings and drawings of nature and animals. Through his discoveries and drawings, Heckel was able to advance the understanding of sea life and creatures.
Turning Heckels 2D drawings into 3D sculptures helps me understand the basic structures of each radiolarian. Not only does sculpting these radiolarians bring them to life, but it also helps me appreciate the uniqueness of each one.