Necrobiology is the study of cell death. Apoptosis is one mechanism of cell death dealt with in the "Inside Time" series. In the study of cell death, cells commit murder, suicide, incur accidental death, and sacrifice themselves for the good of the community of cells. This sounded so much like a Greek tragedy to me, I could not help juxtaposing the two. This painting portrays a key character in the origins of Greek Tragedy , Dionysis, and some characters that are related to him, Hades, Persephone, and Demeter, whom all have cyclic lives. Four stages in the cycle of a cell are stamped on the four characters. They are seen through a screen of apoptotic cells (cells undergoing cell death).

Formerly titled "Greek Tragedy through Necrobiology". Inspired in part by the paper "Detection of Apoptosis and DNA Replication by Differential Labeling of DNA Strand Breaks with Fluorochromes of Different Color", Xun Li, Myron R. Melamed and Zbigniew Darzynkiewicz, Experimental Cell Research 222, 28-37 (1996). Special thanks to Dr. Darzynkiewicz.

Voyage With One's Self, oil on canvas, 3' x 4', 1997. $700 .Prints available $450.

Please see the "shows" web page for the Plasy Art Internship art show and experience.