Lichen is becoming more and more of an intrigue for me. I've always observed it, although not necessarily all that closely and I never really knew much about it. The more I learn, the more I want to know about these tiny symbiotic organisms formed by the coming together of a fungi, cyanobacteria and algae. The closer you look at them and the more you learn about their habits, the more amazing they become! The delicately intricate medulla, and teeny apothecia. The fact that they are used as indicators of air quality. I find myself consistently inspecting lichen when I spot it, and feeling inspired to explore it with future work. The collaboration that I worked on with Sarah Hearn was just a taste, and it definitely left me craving more. One of my favorite parts about my artistic process is the amount of information that I learn about each organism that I make. While I'm no expert, I know so much more about mycology than I did before I started replicating it with fiber. I'm looking forward to researching and experiencing the same with lichenology in the future!

Here are some specimens observed at Martin Park Nature Center when I was out there scoping out installation spots for Niche. On a side note, the collaboration that I mentioned above is still on exhibit at START Norman in the Old Lumber Yard on Main St until May 10th, in addition to Succession.