Roger Ort- 2019

​​Equal parts comic artist and microbiologist, my scientific interests deeply influence my art, and vice-versa. My interests in geology, biology, and chemistry have led me to develop a fascination with the ideas of biogeochemical cycling, the water cycle, and the concept of geologic time. My artistic appreciations for color and light have similarly prompted my academic interest in the vibrant biofilms of iron-oxidizing bacteria and the properties of thin-film interference.
 
My current work, "To Whom I Owe Water", admires the hydrologic cycle, celebrates the women conservationists who have protected and cared for this water on its journey, and reflects on my experiences in the Northwoods of Wisconsin as a field biologist and intern at Trout Lake field station in the Summer of 2019.