The painted plaster cast sculptures in the Dendrites series used neurons and dendrites as a springboard to investigate how our brains react to experiences and other neurological conditions. Dendrites are the branched parts of a nerve cell responsible for receiving signals for the cell to become active. The current belief is that certain memories and life events create distinct patterns in our brains. Disrupting the neuron’s pathway and development can interfere with brain function and is believed to play a role in creating anxiety and may lead to Alzheimer’s, Bipolar, and other disorders. The sculptures in this series are interpretations of what these microscopic cells may look like when one is young, old, or affected by a particular condition or emotional state.

When I’m Old investigates the nature of memory as evidenced by long dendrite branches reaching skyward and back in time. The neuron’s nucleus is filled with smaller replicas of the larger dendrite to emphasize the repetitive nature of emotion and experience with age.  Delving into aging naturally led to the next sculpture, When I Was Young, which is a reimagining of a fertile, newly formed neuron only beginning to generate memories and experiences.

Aging led to other considerations regarding the emotional states of neurons and dendrites, which materialized in pieces such as Tried to Change and When I’m Scared. Tried to Change interprets what a cell in transition may look like, trying to change, though perhaps unable to with a palpable desire for connection in the form of a dendritic arm reaching out. Conversely, When I’m Scared, is turned inward and curled in a protective, fetal position, unable or in such a state of fright to reach out.

Here and There, explores the underlying concepts contained in the New York Times article responsible for sparking the larger Dendrites series. Here and There is based on bipolar disorder, a condition a number of people in my extended family have. Scientific research suggests that certain conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have associated degeneration of synapses and dendritic spines. The spines are considered “immature” and do not develop fully. Here and There manifests this discovery in the form of a shortened spine along her back, while the other attributes of her sculptural form are entirely imagined. Her long dendritic arms are intertwined, though never touch. Her rose to deep red nucleus is filled with sunbursts and striations, representing the intensity of both aspects of this condition—the mania and depression, with the gradations in between.

Family of Memories represent a Madonna and Child grouping with a noticeable twist in the form of a human-like neuron mother cradling several smaller cellular forms. The sculptures also depict bits of memories being assembled and cultivated to create a larger, more defined memory. This sculpture served as a bridge from Dendrites into the Vital Memories series.

Related press: “Modrak anthropomorphizes dendrites and adds an accessible and tangible element to her work by increasing their scale. Several of Modrak’s Dendrites sculptures are over five feet tall.” — Art the Science Blog
Other press: BCTV as part of “In the Garden of the Mind”, Art the Science, ASCI, and Scientific American.

Exhibitions include (select sculptures): Pen + Brush, NAWA, Art New York, The Hartnett Gallery Imprints, Katherine Fosnot Gallery, Aqua Art Miami, and The New Arts Center (archives are now part of the Smithsonian Institute).