Making mycelium material Context Transactions began with a very limited understanding of what microorganisms were and their potential within the field of art and design. Over the past two years I have heard of many projects involving the design of living things such as 3D printing mushroom canapés (C.Rutzerveld, 2014) and growing bacterial cellulose into […]
Using the refined method of experimentation the new tests worked! Below is a picture of tests three (B) and four where the mycelium was left to grow in substrates including cardboard, cotton calico and dead leaves. In one test I left the mycelium spawn to grow in between layers of bubble wrap to see how […]
The outcomes from the first tests worked…but not particularly well. Mould grew on my first mycelium tests and didn’t have a particular structure in the sealed plastic bags. It was time to speak to a professional. After searching high and low I found Dr Patrick Hickey, based at Summerhall, he completed his PhD in Mycology […]
Foraging for mushrooms around Edinburgh I found various types of honey fungus (armillaria), petticoat mottlegill (Panaeolus papilionaceus ) and turf mottlegill (Panaeolus fimicola). Having also bought mushrooms from local shops as well as supermarket chains, I had a collection of eight different types of mushrooms (including varying location of source). I had three different mediums in which the […]
If I want to work with mycelium and see how it grows and interacts with mediums then I might as well grow some myself-so I did. Oyster mushrooms have one the easiest and fastest mycelium growth, so I picked some up from an Asian supermarket and after slicing them up with some soaked cardboard I left them to […]
Back to mycelium! Throughout my research I have been astonished at the amount of research and opportunities that have been discovered with this material…and yet there is still so much more that could be done. Some of the projects I came across started to get my inspiration cogs turning; first of all I was reminded […]
Started diving into the world of fungi and mycelium…first things first: what does a fungi family look like? Knowing the basics about the material we’re working with will help along the way, as well as learning how it interacts with its environment and other organisms. This is Transactions on a micro and macro scale.