Illuminations of a 3D Alphabet — Carolyn Bartlett Gast

— Carolyn Bartlett Gast

For thirty-one years I was a scientific illustrator peering through a stereoscopic microscope to make two-dimensional drawings of the beautiful, highly sculptured organisms that I saw. By analyzing stereographic pairs of Scanning Electron Microscope photographs, I found the principles of placement of matching details to achieve stereoscopic results.

Being a long-time lover of Late, High Gothic (almost decadent) medieval manuscript illumination and decoration, when my scientists were underwhelmed by my ability to make stereo scientific illustrations (“But nobody has ever done that!”) I decided to dash off the letters of the alphabet, incorporating medieval elements and using stereo principles.