Abstract

Wheeler’s exhibited illustrations explored the impact of the work by the Nobel Laureate Harold zur Hausen and the connection he made between the Papilomma virus and cervical cancer. Wheeler visually connects the structure of the Papilloma virus to the mathematical explorations of the designer Buckminster Fuller. Underpinning her illustrative exploration of the scientific research and the work of Buckminster Fuller is her assertion that scientific research does not exist in isolation from social and cultural change. The new connections between both her own illustration work in this exhibition and the varied approaches of the artists and designers which she has brought together as curator provide new insights about the connections which can be made between art, design and scientific research and the cultural implications of these insights and the way the public engages with this complex scientific knowledge.