Bladderwrack

This is an installation of two sheets of translucent Chinese paper with delicate drawings of bladderwrack algae (Fucus vesiculosis) found in County Down, Northern Ireland. The drawings are informing each other - each layer varies in the way the algae is depicted. The plant appeared as if inhabited by other organisms and life forms, and morphed into fantastical forms and medieval type of creatures in my imagination. Dr Sigwart from Marine Laboratory confirmed that my intuitive recognition of multi-inhabitation, the ecology of the plant as host for other organism, is also a biological and scientific fact not visible with bare eye. Here imagination informs science creating fantastic hybrids. Each sheet's dimension is: 137 (height) by 70 (width) cm The drawings are meant to be experienced free floating, with preferably natural light flooding through the membranes of drawing sheets. Work on marine specimen was carried out in connection with the Marine Laboratory Portaferry (Queen's University). This body of work forms part of a PhD research project in drawing establishing the feasibility of eco-aesthetics in a climate of ecological crisis.