Meet the Artist Karen Ingram
Karen Ingram is an artist and educator focused on emerging biotechnology. She runs a NY-based consultancy with clients ranging from education to startups to a water utility. She is a co-author of “BioBuilder: Synthetic Biology in the Lab,” recognized as a universal reference for synbio. Ingram is an Emerging Technology Fellow at Stanford’s d.school, and contributes to REP, a K-12 magazine whose mission is to drive equity in tech design. She’s an affiliate with Bio.Polis (Bio Policy & Leadership in Society, Stanford Department of Bioengineering), supporting projects that guide biological innovation in the public interest. Ingram was part of the founding team of the Empiricist League, described by FiveThirtyEight as “ad-hoc, small-scale TED Talks for scientists and the New Yorkers who adore them” and helped it grow into a recognized name. She teaches design ethics and responsible design courses for SVA’s MFA Interaction Design Program and is an instructor for Genspace’s bioart course “The Art of SynBio: Microbial Painting. She is one of our exhibiting artists at the group art show on September 4th at Rockaway Beach Surf Club.
How did you get started as an artist?
I’ve always made art. I don’t remember a starting point, but I went to school for painting. While I was in school, I got a job at Cone Mills, a textile mill. They gave me a color test because a part of the job was matching colors from the Munsell color book to fabric swatches and prints so the mill could mix the dyes. In terms of aesthetics, I became practiced at making “repeat” designs. I learned a lot at that job; it taught me an appreciation for technology in art making. I’ve carried that appreciation for technology into my current work.
How does spending time in nature, especially by the ocean, contribute to your mental well-being and creative process?
The shapes, colors, and creatures of the ocean are forever inspiring. I recently looked at some ocean water under the microscope and was delighted to see so much life in one droplet of water.
As an exhibiting artist at the 10th Annual Women's Surf Film Festival, what themes or messages do you aim to convey through your artwork?
I am interested in the connections between organisms. Sympoesis. It’s a term used by philosopher Donna Haraway. It means “making with”. I make bioart with microorganisms like bacteria and yeast that have been genetically modified to produce colors and Physarum polycephalum (slime mold). I see this art as a collaboration with these microorganisms. These organisms have their own traits and behaviors; the conditions they like to live in (light, temperature), the food they want, how long they take to grow, and so on. Most of what I make is very impermanent and kinetic; it evolves, degrades, decays, grows, gets contaminated, fades away… that’s the beauty of bioart. This fin is painted with more permanent materials, but it’s inspired by the microbes I work with and by the biology that’s around us in the Rockaways.
How have the Rockaways and New York City influenced your artistic vision and connection to the surfing community?
I am so inspired by Rockaway beach; by the surfing community. I’m grateful for the scientific community nearby, which inspires me to do the work that I love. I teach at both SVA and Genspace community lab in Brooklyn. That fuels my creative practice, as well.
When you're not creating, what do you like to do for fun?
Surf, gym, read, hang out with my friends and family, think about other little experiments I can tinker with that might yield something interesting...
Where can we see more of your art?
I’m working on some bioart pieces for a show at BioBat Artspace in Brooklyn. The opening is October 14. It’s going to be fantastic! It’s up until March 2, 2024. Also, the links below:
