Zachary Copfer

My name is Zachary Copfer and I’m a microbiologist masquerading as an artist. Or am I an artist masquerading as a microbiologist? I can't seem to remember any more. Either way, I earned a bachelors of science in Biology, and then worked as a microbiologist at a pharmaceutical company for several years. Here I became bored and lost sight of why I fell in love science. So, I pursued a more fulfilling path and attended graduate school at The University of Cincinnati, where, I earned my MFA. While in grad school, I began to use art as a vehicle to rediscover the mysteries of science that once fascinated me so. Now, I create visual art that is about deeply exploring the beauty and poetry that reside in scientific theories. My methods are often a fusion of contemporary artistic and modern scientific practices. I have called upon my background in microbiology to employ various bacteria as my artistic medium of choice. I am fascinated by the ability to make visible the living blanket of microorganisms that exist just beyond the human range of perception and that without our knowledge affect us so intimately. By working under the umbrella of art, I am enjoying a more free reign environment in which I can investigate my enchantment with science. Ultimately, I strive to create art that allows me to share my wonderment of the process of scientific study and my sense of awe of the discoveries that have been made using this process with others. In doing so, I also hope to contribute to increasing the dialogue between Artists, Scientists and their respective audiences.