Bio-Glyphs

Ron Baird, RCA , AOCA , has been regularly commissioned to create large-scale, site-specific sculpture installations across Canada and abroad for more than 40 years. Often his work has imaginative elements that move in the wind, are light-responsive or make sounds. Some pieces also include electronics, electronic sound, interactive elements or incorporate programmed light sources. He has completed more than 150 public commissions with a variety of inventive concepts. These include fountains, sculptural landmarks for world fairs and civic parks, towers, murals, carillons and site-specific pieces for business, donor recognition, industry government and private collectors. A winner of numerous awards and medals including allied arts awards from both The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the Ontario Association of Architects for his work. Ron is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts, he is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and has also been awarded prizes for his prints.

Some projects lend themselves to some fascinating collaborations and the discovery that art and other disciplines have more in common than we think. In the case of Bioglyphs by Ron Baird, the intersection between art and science has created a work that is very meaningful to the place where it has been installed: the Biotechnology Business Development Centre. The BBDC is a research park with laboratory space and offices for companies conducting scientific research in medicine, biotechnology, electronics, telecommunications, software, petroleum research and cold-climate engineering. Artist Ron Baird drew inspiration from the world of science— biology, medicine, environmental and agri-food science—when composing the imagery for the artwork. Bioglyphs is a metal column with laser-cut symbols from ancient mythology and science. Baird calls his work “a wall of historic graffiti,” using both contemporary and ancient symbols from around the world. The central image, sandblasted into stainless steel, is adapted from an Assyrian painting depicting the Water God surrounded by water molecules. The other images are cut out of the metal and include stylized symbols of a cell membrane G protein (the target of many pharmacological studies), and the Egyptian hieroglyph for fruit fly- a significant research subject for those working in the field of genetics. Baird worked with medical researcher and CEO of DecisionLine Clinical Research Corporation, Dr. Edward M. Sellers, who provided the background knowledge on specific scientific concepts, formulae, and symbols. The resulting work draws the link between mythological concepts and scientific reality— and the places where they are one and the same.