Born in Massachusetts in 1963, Lisa Nilsson is a fascinating artist on the verge of taking the world by storm. Any doubt of this will be eliminated with one glance at her remarkable “Tissue Series” which converts MRI cross sections of the human body into intricate paper masterpieces using Japanese mulberry paper and the gilded edges of old books. Each work is produced using a technique known as “quilling” or “paper filigree” whereby the small strips of paper are rolled and shaped into precise sizes. Quilling was first practiced by Renaissance nuns and monks who made artistic use of the gilded edges of worn out bibles, and was a very popular artistic practice with women of the 18th century. Nilsson notes: “I find quilling exquisitely satisfying for rendering the densely squished and lovely internal landscape of the human body in cross section.” The results are truly beautiful, and you can see more images from Lisa’s “Tissue Series” by CLICKING HERE, and be sure to visit her website at LisaNilssonart.com. Her “Tissue Series” reminded me of another recent discovery of paperized beauty courtesy of London-based artist Javier of Lubolu Studio and his “Darth Vader Jesus” creation. You can read the full profile here: Darth Vader + Jesus + Cardboard = Another Stunning Creation By Javier Of London’s Lobulo Design. There are countless incredible videos online of real-time MRI scans, but I’ve chosen the video below of artist Angela Palmer which also blurs the line between this revolutionary technology and the world art in much the same way as Nilsson’s work has. Enjoy.
MRI Body Scans + Renaissance Era “Quilling” Paper Art = Lisa Nilsson’s Stunning “Tissue Series”
Brent Lambert
Writer, editor, and founder of FEELguide. I have written over 5,000 articles covering many topics including: travel, design, movies, music, politics, psychology, neuroscience, business, religion and spirituality, philosophy, pop culture, the universe, and so much more. I also work as an illustrator and set designer in the movie industry, and you can see all of my drawings at http://www.unifiedfeel.com.