How can understanding science be made easier? How does a scientific illustrator work? Why did the Museum of Bordeaux call on the services of Juliette Rey?
The Scientific illustration exhibition by Juliette Rey explores the job of the scientific illustrator. The main purpose is to communicate information in the simplest way through drawings. Scientific illustration, therefore, facilitates our understanding of science by creating drawings to accompany occasionally complex theories and explanations.
In the Art and Science Square, Juliette Rey presents a selection of illustrations produced for the Museum of Bordeaux. The exhibition is an opportunity to visualise and understand the creative process of the illustrations displayed in the multimedia terminals installed in the semi-permanent exhibition, 'Eat me, if you can!' The aim of this project is to illustrate the different strategies for acquiring food, through various media including drawings, photos, video and specimens in collections.
To meet the Museum of Bordeaux’s brief, Juliette Rey has combined traditional hand illustration with computer aided graphics.
Before the final result is achieved, the scientific illustrator first has to study each subject in order to select the details to depict, generally working with specialists. The last phase of the process is to create content adapted to every kind of audience to provide information in the simplest way using visuals.
The specimens depicted in these drawings can be as realistic as photos and are the final stage of a long process of teamwork and exhibition planning at the Museum of Bordeaux.