Film/video and Poetry

“Biology Rising” began as a visual art piece created by Julie Anderson Bailey. It is an exploration of the volvox algae daughter colonies that grow inside their mother cells in freshwater environments. They survive through an evolutionary practice of symbiotic support. The colony spins in unison toward light, pushing the collective whole toward the surface for photosynthesis, to ensure individual and collective survival. This natural symbiotic relationship is a powerful lesson in community and the principle of interdependence, highlighting how each living thing within a natural system contributes to the health and balance of that system.

Through this collaboration, Bailey’s installation is captured in video and edited by Eric Braman, who layered it with manipulated imagery of the Willamette and Umpqua Rivers. Complementing the video is original poetry written and performed by Bailey and Braman.

In sharing this artwork, we hope to inspire dialogue about the essentiality of community and the symbolism of mother earth helping her progeny to survive. The combined visual representation of the algae and videography of Oregon’s fresh waters with poetic audio pulls viewers’ attention toward metaphorical reflection as we weave words and stories that highlight the power of empathy, compassion, collective empowerment and intergenerational love.

Viewable September 27-October 6, view after dusk