Mold Becomes Art in Antoine Bridier-Nahmias's 'Magical Contamination'

Ever take a peep at mold underneath a microscope? Like most everything viewed under a lens, there is a magical, hypnotic quality to it. Artist Antoine Bridier-Nahmias takes that idea to its ultimate conclusion with "Magical Contamination," a series of photographs in which he experimentally develops various types, patterns, and colors of molds in Petri dishes.

Bridier-Nahmias's results are striking though aesthetically uneven. One mold resembles a seashell, while another dish seems to hold several sea dollars. Yet another looks like the paused cellular mitosis of a fertilized egg. Other experiments yield alien planet-looking molds, while others look like what New Yorkers see growing every day in the bathrooms of their lovely slum dwellings.

Search results fail to turn up much on the Bridier-Nahmias, but hopefully he keeps on experimenting with biological organisms and art. Wisely, he posted the project on Tumblr, which should give him a certain amount of cultural cache amongst that site's image-loving hordes.

Head over to the "Magical Contamination" page to see the dozens of images in high-res. You will be blown away and get the willies in one go.