From Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to Artistic Creator
Bergen McMurray, a Principal Technical Program Manager at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in Seattle, pursues a fascinating passion outside of her professional life: creating captivating wall art using scientific specimens – insects, bones, and butterflies.
McMurray’s background is deeply rooted in the Seattle tech and science landscape. She’s held positions at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, her own biotech startup, HiveBio, and Tableau Software. At Oracle, she focuses on workflow management, system design, and automation.
Ebb & Bone: A Collaborative Artistic Journey
Alongside her tech work, McMurray collaborates with Bevin Duncan as Ebb & Bone. This artistic partnership regularly exhibits their unique creations at art shows and festivals. Their artwork features meticulously framed spiders, butterflies, beetles, cockroaches, small mammal skulls, snake skeletons, and other upcycled objects sourced from the woods or reclaimed from decommissioned entomology collections.
The Philosophy Behind the Art
McMurray expresses a profound love for the juxtaposition of beauty and spookiness. “We call it dead things art,” she states, emphasizing her commitment to ethically and sustainably sourcing her materials and avoiding the exploitation of living creatures.
A Shift in Perspective
What McMurray finds most rewarding is the ability to encourage viewers to reconsider their perceptions. The experience of observing a giant spider or a detailed animal skull can be surprisingly unsettling, prompting a deeper appreciation for the beauty hidden within the unexpected.
Skills Transferred to Work
Like many tech professionals, McMurray spends considerable time working at a computer. Her artistic endeavor offers her a tangible outlet to create and touch, while simultaneously honing her problem-solving skills. Addressing the presentation of a rabbit skull artfully or sourcing insects sustainably provides valuable insights that she applies to her work as a program manager.
Unexpected Connections
Beyond the creative process, McMurray values the opportunity to engage in unconventional conversations with others, further developing her social skills and influencing abilities.
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