Psychedelic Animal Specimens

Image from: io9.com

Like my last blog post, I've found work that combines science and art in a creative and beautiful way. The Japanese artist Iori Tomita "combines classical specimen preservation techniques with meticulous staining methods [to] transform fish, squid, turtles and even chameleons into a menagerie of multi-colored hell beasts." http://io9.com/5929143/these-psychedelic-animal-specimens-are-unlike-anything-youve-ever-seen

These multi-coloured, transparent animals are beautiful and disturbing at the same time. What I'd like to know is how anyone comes up with the idea to do this. I guess if you know about biology and preservation techniques, you'd get inspired, but it's still a strange thing to decide to do. I'd also like to know where these animals are coming from. Have they been killed for the sole purpose of being art, or did they die naturally?

This is a great example of how art carries across disciplines. I find it encouraging as well because it gives me hope that I might be able to incorporate some of my other interests into what I'm doing.