A delightful serendipitous accident! Falling asleep on the stool, nudging the slide from subject to the glue surround, and then turning what looked like "a plate of mud" into visionary abstract art—is pure photographic alchemy. Mike Howlett's discovery of the artistic potential in coverslip glue from old various microscope slides is inspired.
‍
His process—patient cropping, post-production tweaks, and nurturing each image—transforms accidental patterns into works that evoke J.M.W. Turner’s atmospheric drama, Mark Rothko’s colour fields, and sci-fi landscapes. The results feel like microscopic worlds reimagined as grand vistas: swirling nebulae, alien terrains, or emotional abstractions.
‍
Letting go of control is where the real magic slips in. Mike Howlett didn’t set out to invent a new genre of photomicrographic art — he just dozed off, bumped a slide, and suddenly the glue that was supposed to be invisible became the star. That tiny loss of intention opened a whole new visual universe.
‍
'This kind of happy accident reminds me why experimentation in art (and science) is so rewarding—sometimes the best discoveries happen when you let go of control.'