The Science
Fungi are principal organisms when symbiosis comes into question: from the mycorrhizal networks forming the Wood Wide Web to Ophiocordyceps’s masterful manipulation of ants, fungi are enmeshed in the scene of symbiotic relationships. This artwork revolves around the relationship between trees and bracket fungi, acting as agents of decay, decomposing dead wood to recycle rich nutrients into the soil, enriching the environment for further organisms. Furthermore, some species infect and feed on the living tree like fungal vampires, demonstrating the dual nature of symbiosis.
“Synergenesis” is a site-specific installation that incorporates the saturnine stripes of turkey tail mushrooms (Trametes Versicolor) into the colourful crocheted artworks that are displayed on a mossy stump. The installation artworks were made with wool, silk and cotton yarn for textural variation and woven with wire for flexibility in order to replicate the folds of the fungi. Drawing its name from the union of the two words ‘synergy’ (a combined cooperation/interaction) and ‘genesis’ (meaning generation/creation), the title illustrates the symbiotic nature of the piece, in name and in practice. Just as the fungus feeds on the heartwood of the tree and replenishes the soil for new life, the tree stump in “Synergenesis” supports the artworks and in doing so, becomes a collaborative participant with the artist in the piece itself.
The Artist
Isabel Crabtree Parker graduated with a First in a BA (Hons) Fine Art, Arts University Bournemouth, UK and will be undertaking an MA Fine Art at Lancaster University in autumn 2023. Ecology and the environment fascinate her and form the focus of her multi-media art practice. Commissioned to illustrate a book on Indigenous folk stories, prior to that she was a junior researcher on an ethnographic study of Indigenous communities in Malaysia. She has co-authored an ethnographic book and academic papers in the Journal of Sociology and Development, Southeast Asia Research. Her work is available on her website.
Copyright statement. This work is published under the CC BY-NC-SA license