June Creator of the Month: David Walker
David Walker’s life has been an amalgamation of his deep interests in both the sciences and the arts. He remembers drawing people at age 3 and airplanes at age 5. Throughout his school years, he explored using many different mediums, including clay and wheel pottery. With the help of a middle school teacher, one of David’s first forays into scientific experimentation came when he wanted to explore how much oxygen a frog, a reptile and a rat produced, and the potential similarities or differences between the animals. It was a great lesson on how to design experiments to answer scientific questions.
David was also later influenced by a paleontologist with deep expertise in animal biology. She taught him much about mammal preservation and taxidermy preparation. This sharing of knowledge left a lasting impact on David’s career as a teacher.
In similar fashion to his scientific interest, David harbored a deep passion for the visual arts. As he grew up, his joy in making art opened up the question of whether he should venture further into the arts; trying to make it his livelihood. His parents weren’t too keen on this idea as they grew up during the Great Depression and wanted David to have a secure future. Hence, David ended up pursuing his other passion, science, through academics as it was a more economic route.
David earned Bachelor’s degrees in both Zoology and Botany from the University of California at Santa Barbara which is also the institution where he completed his Master’s degree in marine botany. His academic journey did not end here, as he obtained a PhD in Botany and Cell Biology from the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he eventually became a professor in Pathology. David’s transition from Marine Botany to Pathology was made possible because of his training in electron microscopy which was a crucial skill for the new pulmonary research laboratory that was being set up by UBC at St. Paul's Hospital. His career involved doing both lung research at this pathology lab and teaching in various capacities in the UBC Pathology department. Reflecting on his career, David acknowledges the duality of his path. Although he pursued academics to the highest extent and with great success, art remained an inseparable aspect of who he is and his life.
Besides trying a variety of mark making on paper, David always liked “playing with clay”, making three-dimensional models of many different kinds when he was a child. His experiences with clay modeling later enhanced his scientific work. As an electron microscopist, he observed biological structures at a cellular level. To help interpret these structures in a three dimensional way, he began to use his clay modeling experience to represent detailed structure at a cellular level which could not be observed in other ways. For example, through clay modeling, he was able to explain the process of freeze fracture of cells (which entails fast freezing biological specimens and breaking them open). Fortunately, despite his parents’ reservations, David found a way to integrate his artistic inclinations into his academic aspirations.
Throughout his life, as he clearly cannot NOT do art, David has explored many different art mediums. It varied from painting, to modeling materials, potting, and in his later years, working in stone and bronze. Now, art gives David the ability to observe and create which has become a necessity for his general well being. Though less able to produce art now after a stroke a few years ago, David finds it vital to continue having artistic endeavors in his life to the best of his current abilities. This gives him a way to communicate to others what he perceives in life through his art.
Regarding how art and creating has impacted his life:
"Art has always been an integral part of my life. It is the lens through which I view all aspects of my life."
