Colonizers I 

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Fallen branches individually wrapped with red fabric,  dimensions variable

 

This work extends my ongoing research on multiplicity in the natural realm and it’s the outcome of a two-week artist residency at the Gatekeeper’s Cottage on the mouth of the Cataract Gorge, Launceston.

The iconic gorge was a major source of inspiration for the work, specially its totemic rock formations covered with ancient lichen. Dating back 2.2 billion years, lichens are multiple organisms –an algae and two types of fungus – and the primary colonizers of soil-less surfaces on which the ecosystem relies for the slow corrosion of rock. Lichen’s presence indicates a non-polluted environment. When we look at lichen we are in the presence of a little community, a multiple organism constituted of two types of fungi and cyanobacteria. This site-specific installation depicts the abundance of lichen growing in the area.

 

King’s Bridge Cottage Artist Residency – Launceston, Tasmania

Project supported by the Launceston City Council     

2016