The Cinderella Weed
28.5 x 23.5 cm (framed)
2020
original photogram

Archive number : PH1

This one off, original photogram is framed in a custom made, black stained oak frame, with a black mount, and a 1cm black recess by Dylan Shipton framers. It features museum quality glass.

It is from a series of photograms based on weeds that have medicinal properties, this one was in the news last year as it was found to kill breast cancer cells, it was named Cinderella because it was a heroine hidden in plain sight. “In her latest research, Professor Alessandra Devoto, from Royal Holloway, University of London, found that thale cress – also known as Arabidopsis Thaliana or mouse-ear cress – stops cancerous cells growing without damaging healthy cells. The weed belongs to the cabbage family and grows in Africa, Eurasia and Europe in disturbed habitats. Because it has a simple molecular structure, it has thus far been dismissed by scientists, and Professor Devoto admits that people ‘looked at me funny’ when she first began her research into it 14 years ago. After incubating the treated leaves with breast cells, she found that those which were cancerous stopped growing while healthy cells remained unaffected. Professor Devoto’s research could now be used to help reduce the risks of invasive side effects in chemotherapy.”