Patrick Lyons (age 15)
Parkside Federation
Title : Seeing The Difference
Category : Neurodegeneration
Joint 1st Prize for Imagining The Brain 2011
PL : The main sculpture is a disintegrating microtubule from a neuron with Alzheimer's. The wire clumps are tangled mesh of aggregated tau protein. In a healthy neuron soluble tau protein stabilizes the microtubule and prevents disintegration. The fire-like impasto painting underneath is based on an image of an Alzheimer's plaque formed from amyloid-beta protein, which have fallen out of the solution in the brain. And finally the photos symbolise memories that stay or are lost in alzheimers. New memories are lost first so the photos on the disintegrating balls are recent memories whilst childhood memories are still on the complete microtubule.
Judges comments : Accurate representation of microtubule elements. Imaginative skill, with a creative use of materials to generate a striking 3D version of the art form. A good use of mixed media.