Design System, Sibylla Merian

Maria Sibylla Merian is widely considered the first entomologist. Before her careful documentation of the life cycle of the butterfly in Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumennahrung (The Wondrous Transformation of Caterpillars and Their Remarkable Diet of Flowers) in 1679, the prevailing theory on insect procreation was spontaneous generation. She trained as an artist and still life painter, so it follows that her contribution to science stemmed from the first step that the artistic method and scientific method share: observation.

I set out to make a poster series inspired by her unique style, but brought into the modern day. Analyzing what makes her work so compelling, I noticed that her use of scale and proximity in composition, combined with a contextlessness, produced a kind of surrealism. Distinct silhouettes and vivid detail relay her love for the subject. These were the main themes I tackled in aesthetic translation.

In my final poster designs, pictured below, I collaged disparate objects into lush compositions, emphasizing the scale of each insect.