After much deliberation on various ideas for the grad show I have settled on a simplistic approach to the included objects and arrangements within the installation. However, the way the work has unfolded through install is still different to my initial proposed composition. I have also come to a clear resolution of what my final grad show piece is about. -
This work conveys a message about the human potentiality of communication with nature. Through sound and ‘music’, a fantastical form of communication with nature is created. The relational aesthetics of the work encourages the viewer to interpret the ‘sheet music’ provided and play it on the mushrooms; they then create a whole new fantastical language and form of communication with nature. Although this is not typical music as there is no beginning, middle, or end, it is entirely defined by the viewer. The work symbolizes the concept of there actually being a communicative language between humans and nature, therefor inviting the conversation of the current state of our relationship with nature and its destructive impact on the Earth.
The piece possesses a stark contrast between natural, organic material and rustic metal materials. Highly contrasting symbolizing, the extreme contradictions between humans and nature.
A large inspiration for this work is the research of mycologist, Paul Stamets, exploring how mycelium is the communication between plants and fungi the fruiting body; the work symbolizing how fungi can be a go-between human and nature. The work has also been inspired by artists such as Cornelius Cardew, Serena Korda, and XiaoJing Yan. Through their unique music scores, musical ceramic mushrooms and bold ink splats I was inspired to produce this work.
I also thought very carefully about what I wanted to title the work. I didn't want the title to explain what the work was, instead I wanted it to be the final cherry on the cake for the work, tying it all together. I thought that because the piece is all about communication and creating a fantastical language to communicate with nature, I figured a perfect tie off would be a name for the language.
For this I felt I wanted to attempt to create a whole new word rather than repurposing as that could very quickly lead to confusion. I had a look at various fungi and mycelial related words in English and other languages . I finally landed on the French word for mushrooms - 'Champignons' and the English word for the material makeup of mycelium - 'Hyphae'. With these I created 'Hyphignón', I added an accent onto the 'o' to indicate how the vowel is spoken - much like in many language.
Hyphae under microscope
For my proposal I put forward that the work would consist of two tree stumps varying in size, the larger one placed in the center of the room and the other off to the corner. ‘Growing’ from these tree stumps will be 8 out of 10 steel heat treated mushrooms, with steel pole ‘stems’ and wing nuts to replicate cymbals. The ‘stems’ will sit in specially drilled holes and standing at varying heights to more easily group together and replicate enokitake mushrooms. To one side of these tree stumps will be a single log Laine on the ground. ‘Growing’ from the log will be three bronze mushrooms hand bells, able to be removed and played as well as the remaining two steel mushrooms. Next to this log will be a selection of calved wooden tools in which to play the mushroom cymbals with. On the walls will be hung (using magnets) 5 paintings on A2 lokta paper. The paintings will consist of music bars with a variation of bold black marks, symbolizing music scores.
The Audience are invited to interact with the work, pick up and play the bells, and use the drumsticks to play the mushroom cymbals. The installation takes the viewer on a playful journey, exploring a fun way to communicate with nature. Therefor It is laid out so that the public have enough space to walk all the way around the work and discover the fantastical, musical language audience and sculpture create to communicate with nature
Once installation began I immediately realized I needed to adjust my proposal. This is mainly due to the fact I was given a much larger space than I originally imagined I would get. At first this really overwhelmed me and I wasn't sure how to approach it but once I started discussing it and laying out my steel mushroom's in experimental formations I soon realized that the size meant I could spread the work out nicely in order for people to comfortably walk around, I also realized just how big my mushrooms were and how much space they would take up. I don't think I had previously had the opportunity to see them in this way so I hadn't clocked on to how much space they would actually need.
The first week of install consisted of cleaning and fixing up the space. Filling holes, gaps, and painting the walls and floors
The next week I was able to start bringing the work into the space and seeing how it would fit in composition. It was at this point where I realized just how perfect the space was for the work, through experimenting the arrangements of the mushrooms I could start envisioning it.
After figured out the mushroom arrangements it was time to bring in my tree stumps. I wanted my favourite ones that stood on its own roots to be the center piece, then arranged the others in relation through height and composite.
Then the task I felt most challenging for myself in this install process, designing the composition of how the mushrooms stood, the angles and arrangements on each stump. This took some times and at least tow people to help me, so that I could see from a distance how they would look before going ahead and drilling into the wood.
Once I had made my final decisions and marked up the stumps so I knew which went where and in what direction. I began drilling the holes. For this I used a gradient of drill bits as from previous experiment I learned I couldn't go straight in with the big size drill bit. I then still only drilled exactly the size and then hammered them in so they are snug, secure, and cannot me moved. After going around and placing the tops on the stems I then drilled the holes for the bells and I was done with this stage of installation.
While installing these I received some interesting feedback from a fellow student, sating that the poles give a very industrial feel to the work. Although this was intended as constructive criticism I thought that was brilliant. I personally love the contrast between man-made and nature in this work. I think it truly backs up my meaning behind the work, displaying the relationship between human and nature. Additionally instruments often have an extremely industrial feel to them and wouldn't usually fit into an aesthetic of nature, therefore I actually think it is fitting that the poles give the work a very industrial feel, especially as the mushroom tops do also feel very man made and industrial anyway.
Once that was done I was onto the final stage, putting up my paintings. I had five and wanted them scattered around the walls, despite what some tried to tell me - to have them all on one wall in a line - I felt it important to the work that they were scattered as it reinforces the removal of rules and order. to prevent people from reading them in a prearranged order and having them totally interpret them.
Due to the paper they are painted on they are extremely flimsily, fragile and flowy. This meant two things : 1, I had to display them very delicately 2. I didn't want to have them taught against the wall, instead give into the flowy nature of the paper and enhance it. I wanted to have them floating away from the walls, shadowed and with no obvious hanging. This did puzzle me for a while how I would achieve this. On the day I needed to put them up I still didn't know how I was going to execute it. I went into the wood workshop looking for inspiration. I saw some scraps of wood used for canvas making and had a lightbulb moment. I could attach the wood to the wall and have the paper hanging off the protruding wood, perfect!
Once I'd got all the pieces to the size I needed and figured out how to subtly attach them to the wall I thought I would nail the paper to the wood to limit damage and keep it as subtle as possible. However, the paper was so think even this wasn't as easy as I'd expected. I ended up using tiny pieces of making tape on either side of the paper exclusively where the nail went through to reinforce. This worked a treat as not only did it strengthen the paper but it's also invisible from the viewed distance as both paper and take are the same colour.
After That I placed some wood chippings around the bases of the tree stump and this install was complete!
I am so chuffed with how it has turned out. So much better than I could have imagined. Truly my best work to date.
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