Britt Thomas Creates Planetary Art for Houston Infusion Project

HOUSTON, TX. (Thursday, Dec. 16, 2016) – Britt Thomas, a Metallurgical Lab Photographer at Stress Engineering Services, whose mural entitled “Metallographic Cosmos”, is one of ten art installations by talented local Houston artists to be amid the newly renovated George R. Brown Convention Center and along the transforming convention district. This project is part of Houston First’s “Houston Infusion” initiative which was created to showcase Houston’s vibrant culinary and culture scenes.

“Metallographic Cosmos” represents space exploration and discovery, as well as the oil and gas industry – both which truly characterizes the city of Houston. Britt utilized a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) provided by Stress Engineering Services to create the image in “Metallographic Cosmos”. The advanced microscope allowed her to zoom in on the weld spatter particles and enlarge them up to 100,000X their original size. While examining the sample, she was amazed by how a few millimeter-sized particles so looked planetary like under the microscope. She instantly thought about how amazing it would be to create a “spacescape” out of the SEM photos.

Britt printed “Metallographic Cosmos” on digital wallpaper, a material that is frequently used in commercial settings and touted for its durability. The composition and installation of the 1400 square foot mural was completed earlier this month and unveiled to the public for viewing this week. It is located on the street level of the George R. Brown Convention Center in Hall D.

In addition to Britt’s mural, two massive works of art will serve as major focal points both inside the George R. Brown Convention Center, “Soaring in the Clouds” by Ed Wilson, and “Wings Over Water” by Joe O’Connell + Creative Machines, a kinetic work located outside on the new plaza along the Avenida de las Americas outside the convention center.