Erwin Huebner explores the interface between art and science, both aesthetically and philosophically, through photography, intaglio, related print media, and artist books ranging from traditional bindings to sculptural forms.
Since January 2017, Huebner has been the artist in residence at the School of Art, where he has expanded on notions of what constitutes a book, exploring how inanimate objects can function as covers or enclosures for content on paper and other media. The forms his books take flow directly from their content.
His fascination with microscopy and tiny books has resulted in miniature books, sometimes more traditionally bound and packaged. A less conventional book draws on his childhood musical studies—a concertina packed in its carrying case, with paper pages replacing the bellows, offering a glimpse into the music and lessons of a young accordion student. He has also created a book of molded glass panels lit with LED lights, revealing the subtle surfaces of the glass.
Erwin Huebner is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba and a mixed-media artist. In his scientific career, he has conducted extensive research on cell biology, microscopy and imaging, and bioelectric phenomena. He has also authored and co-authored significant texts, including Microscopic Identification of Novel Cell Types in the Integument of Larval Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser Fulvescens.
As the artist in residence at the School of Art, Huebner has delved into his lifelong interest in the interface between art and science through the medium of artist books.
Huebner’s artist books and/or photomicrographs have been shown in a number of exhibitions, including:
- Heritage Gallery, Canadian Mennonite University
- University of New Brunswick Art Center, Fredericton
- Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, Art of the Book
- Millennium Library, Winnipeg
- Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Maryland
- Museum of Maritime Ships, Portsmouth, England
- Special Collections, Elizabeth Dafoe Library, University of Manitoba
He has participated in numerous workshops on bookmaking and printmaking to learn and refine the techniques and craft of both mediums.
