Historical Visions features a miniature image of a homunculus—a depiction of a fully-formed human inside a sperm—displayed on a microscope slide and visible only under magnification. Rooted in early anatomical and alchemical texts, the homunculus represented the belief that a complete human existed in tiny form within structures like sperm. This notion, tied to the preformation theory, influenced early biological thought by suggesting that human complexity could be visualised in miniature, an idea that shaped scientific observation in ways we now view as limited.

The artwork references early microscopy, when observers often claimed to see what they expected based on preformationist theories. This led to phenomena where scientists, captivated by new microscopic possibilities, imagined observing elements that aligned with preexisting cultural narratives—essentially "seeing" what wasn’t there. This tendency highlights a broader human inclination to project familiar beliefs and myths onto ambiguous or unclear visual data, particularly when grappling with new technologies.

By drawing on the homunculus and the early misinterpretations of microscopy, Historical Visions reflects on the subjective nature of scientific observation and the imaginative aspects embedded in the history of medical imaging. The work suggests that even the most precise tools do not eliminate human interpretation, which is inevitably shaped by cultural beliefs, desires, and interpretive limits. In this way, Historical Visions emphasises that science, like art, is a process that blends observation and subjective interpretation, sometimes blurring the line between what is genuinely observed and what is imagined.