A site for sore eyes

US artist Jason Middlebrook has been commissioned by the Wellcome Trust to create bold, bright and visually striking artwork that will decorate the hoarding behind which the Trust’s new HQ is taking shape. The new hoarding will liven up the drab Euston Road skyline and help convey the Trust's vision and messages. It is an ideal chance to publicise the Trust's activities beyond the academic community. People who work or live in or commute through this part of the 'Trust's Euston corridor' in Camden will be drawn instantly to the imagery, and will have a prime opportunity to discover more about the Trust and its work.

New York-based artist Jason Middlebrook became involved at the suggestion of Denna Jones, Curator of the Trust's Two10 Science and Art Gallery. "I saw the work he'd done for the Pastoral Pop exhibition at the Whitney [Museum of American Art] in New York," she says, "and when the corporate communications team asked me for suggestions, I thought Jason's work would fit the brief perfectly." His artworks are inspired by the organic relationship between nature and humankind. His proposed design for the hoarding – 'The Nature of Humankind' – represents the complexity between nature and human health. The aim is to establish a bridge between common perceived notions of biomedical science and more recent advances in biomedical research, which encapsulates the explosive potential of sequencing the human genome.

After graduating with a Master's degree from the San Francisco Art Institute, Jason enrolled for a year at the Whitney Independent Program in New York. Contacts made here led to shows both on the East and West Coast of the USA. He has exhibited in Europe before but this commission for the Trust will be his first outside the States.

In March 2001, the conceptual process moved forward to the practical stage as Jason relocated for six weeks from New York to a studio space in the Waterloo area of London. The final design will be produced to scale on paper and reproduced by hoarding production specialists to accommodate the three-metre high space that will run 90 metres along Euston Road and stretch around another 30 metres along Gower Street. The artwork will be complete once Jason removes sections from the top to transform the 2D frontage into something less rectangular and much more eclectic.

Such a visually striking treat should not only provide a welcome distraction for drivers and pedestrians braving one of London's busiest thoroughfares, but may also encourage them to find out more about the Wellcome Trust, science and its impact on their lives.

External links

• Details of the artist Jason Middlebrook