Shakespeare to Winehouse open 9:00am–7:00pm on Thu, Fri, Sat from 7 July
Mandyam Veerambudi Srinivasan AM, PhD, DSc, FAA, FRS, FRIN (b. 1948) is Emeritus Professor within the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland. Born in Pune, India, he completed his undergraduate degree at the Indian Institute of Science before gaining a doctorate in engineering and applied science at Yale. In Australia from 1978, he was a Research Fellow at the Australian National University, and completed his DSc in the ANU's Research School of Biological Sciences in 1994. Since 1985, his research has focused on exploring the way that insects, especially bees, perceive and move within the three-dimensional world. 'They're beautiful navigators, and one of the challenges for us as scientists is how do they actually do this? What are the techniques these insects take with these tiny brains?' Srinivasan says. His research has informed projects such as the development of autonomous aircraft navigation systems for clients such as NASA.
Sam Leach's paintings typically examine the relationship between science, nature and technology, and are characterised by their modest scale and fine detail. Leach spent a day with Srinivasan and his team at their lab in Brisbane, observing and photographing them at work. Srinivasan says that Leach has captured his 'sense of enjoyment' in this work – which also includes a 'beautifully detailed, meticulous portrait' of one of Srinivasan's own subjects.
Commissioned with funds provided by Marilyn Darling AC 2014
© Sam Leach
Marilyn Darling AC (30 portraits supported)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
An interview with Professor of Visual Neuroscience, University of Queensland, Mandyam Srinivasan.
Joanna Gilmour describes how artist Sam Leach works on a small scale to grand effect.