Unit 6: Making a Start

I have decided to choose the theme Infection by HIV because, to me, it seems to be the most interesting. I love the creepiness of the virus, especially after hearing Dr Peter Klappa’s description of it being alive and, at the same time, not alive.  This combined with the fact that it prays on human life make it horribly vampiric. Alive, not alive and praying on human life, this description could almost be Van-Helsing describing the nature of the Count himself, in Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula (1897).

To make a start, I have been looking at electron microscope images of HIV cells, and the AIDS virus itself.

I have also made a few sketches of the HIV cells and the AIDS virus.

I find the cell and virus visually fascinating despite their obvious repulsiveness. To me, they resemble Lovecraftian creatures made up of repulsive tentacles and pseudo limbs. When drawing the Virus itself I noticed vague anatomical shapes that resemble bones, limbs and organs.

It’s still early days but I think I will be focusing on the creepiness and looking at lots of horror movies; it should be lots of fun :)

It might also be interesting to look into the AIDS scare of the 1980’s. There was lots of paranoia around that time that resulted in some ferly sinister imagery.

Billboard from the 1980’s Don’t Die of Ignorance campaign