Moss Hand

Pests

"an organism which has characteristics that are regarded by humans as injurious or unwanted"

My studio practice this semester has been particularly focussed on pests, what humans regard as a pest and why we do so. This poses the much wider question of 'what makes us Human?'. I have been researching the subject of feral children in relation to this, as scientists and psycologists have used these unique cases to argue what to the true nature of mankind may be.

Moss is considered a weed in grass lawns, and is often killed off to keep concrete area clear.

"we do not value the behavior or soul of the fly or cockroach to the same degree that we do the chimpanzee or domestic dog or cat. We human being's do have a ladder representing our judgement as to "likeability," and it is not a great surprise to learn that the species placed at the top of our ladder are those genetically most like us and those we have domesticated to behave in ways we prefer....to do so is not wrong- but it is human. That we do so merely illustrates that we design our mental universe by the use of concepts, which suggests that our first task is to develop ways to understand our own mind by understanding the concepts it employs"

-Feral Children and Clever Animals by Douglas Keith Canland.


For this project I wanted to futher explore these idea's in relation to my chosen medium; moss.
The way in which something can survive completely self-sustaining then once interferred with or transposed requires care and attention, this has been true for my experiments with moss and also the cases of feral children.

What draws me to moss as a medium is its inherent commoness, growing all over the world in both natural and urban environments. It's existence with in the urban enviroment I find particularly interesting, as city dwellers we are often detached from the natural world, when I see moss growing through cracks in the footpath or on a brick wall I am reminded if the constant battle between humans and nature. For me moss represents a small victory for the natural world amongst all of the destruction we create.

For my final work I have transplanted moss samples I have collected on to a freshly painted grey wall with in the city. Using a combination of glue and buttermilk I created the shape of a large grasping hand with the moss. I choose this shape because I wanted to reflect my idea's about the fragilty of life and our relationship to the natural world.

Moss gathering

I have been collecting small samples of moss all over the city, starting with my own garden and daily journey to art school and back through town to work. I have found over 10 variaties, possibly more as I'm am still learning about the more subtle distinguishing features of the Polytrichaceae family. I also recently went to Bathunes Gully in the north end of the city to collect some samples from a more natural environment. Below is some documentation of moss varieties I found there.

Guerrilla Gardening

Political gardening, a form of non-violent direct action, primarily practiced by environmentalists. Guerrilla gardening is related to land rights, land reform, and permaculture. Activists take over an abandoned piece of land which they do not own to grow crops or plants. Guerrilla gardeners believe in re-considering land ownership in order to reclaim land from perceived neglect or misuse and assign a new purpose to it.
I have been looking at several artists working with these ideas. Edina Tokodi and Peter Gibson in particular are artist both working in public spaces combining concepts of street art and environmentalism. Street art in itself is a form of non-violent activism or social disruption, I appreciate the way they use the medium and the space to comment on social and environmental issues.

'Tokodi’s site-specific moss installations of prancing animal figures and camouflage outgrowths are the talk of a local urban neighborhood typically accustomed to gallery hype and commercial real estate take-overs. Unlike the market-driven art featured in sterile, white box galleries, the work of Tokodi is meant to be touched, felt, and in turn touch you in the playful ways that her animated installations call to mind a more familiar, environmentally friendly state in the barren patches of urban existence.'

Graffiti meets environmental and social activism in Peter Gibson (a.k.a. Roadsworth)’s literal take on street art. Frustrated with the lack of safety provided for cyclists in today’s cities, the artist began (illegally) spray painting extra bike lanes onto the streets of Montreal in 2001. It wasn’t long before he began to branch out and address other civic and environmental issues through his cutting brand of creative imagery. Intended to address many of the confining conditions of living in an urban environment, Peter Gibson’s work treats these topics with a sort of wry humor that doesn’t dull their urgent message.

Over the last semester as part of my studio practice I have been looking at "Pests" in New Zealand, with a major focus on the Rabbit. I am interested in the way pests such as the rabbit and gorse have been introduced to this country by European immagrants as a reminder of their homeland. I feel that moss holds this same love/hate relationship for people, in some places it is admired where as others it is killed off to keep the concrete of stone surfaces clear.

Common New Zealand Moss Varieties

Leptostomum inclinans

Family Leptostomataceae

This family contains a number of large genera with world wide distribution. Most species grow on soil and have erect stems. Genus

- Leptostomum

Species: Leptostomum inclinans R. Br.

A common moss often seen growing on Nikau palms and black tree ferns. Common Name: Pin cushion moss.

Found: Mixed Forest

Substrate: Tree Trunks Length: Up to 300 mm

Thick: To 80 mm

Macromitrium longipes

Family Orthotrichaceae

A well represented family in New Zealand. The most common plants grow on the bark of trees or shrubs, but some species may also be found on rock. Genus

- Macromitrium

Species: Macromitrium longipes (Hook.) Schwaegr.

Common, found on tree trunks or large branches. Growing in patches up to 300 mm.

Distribution: New Zealand wide

Substrate: Common on tree trunks

Bryum argenteum

Family Pottiaceae

A large family containing many small upright plants, which form large dense patches on soil. Some of which are very common it urban environments. Genus

- Tortula

Species: Tortula muralis Hedw.

Common in urban environments, found growing on brick walls, concrete etc..

Found: Urban environments

Substrate: Brick, concrete Height: 8 mm

Ptychomniaceae aciculare

Family Ptychomniaceae

The capsules of this family are strongly ribbed when mature. The leaves are often papery when dry. Genus

- Ptychomniaceae

Species: Ptychomniaceae aciculare (Brid.) Mitt

A very common moss.

Habitat: On the ground or rotting logs in forests.

Width: 10 mm Distribution: Throughout New Zealand.

Length: 50 mm to 100 mm

Breutelia elongata

Family Bartramiaceae

This family of mosses grow in damp locations and in some cases drainage ditches. Has glossy leaves and red stems, male plants have conspicuous orange-red sex organs Genus

- Breutelia

Species: Breutelia elongata (Hook. f. & wils.) Mitt.

A common moss, often found in drainage ditches,

Habitat: Damp ground

Width: 10 mm Distribution: Throughout New Zealand.

Height: 100 mm

Bryum argenteum

Family Bryaceae

Another large family with many of it species been very common. Genus

- Bryum

Species: Bryum argenteum Hedw..

Common in towns were it's found at the foot of walls, cracks in foot paths

Habitat: Soil, foot of walls and cracks in footpaths

Distribution: World wide Length: 10 mm

Width 1.5 mm

Bryum blandum

Species: Bryum blandum Hook.f.& wils.

Habitat: On wet rocks or earth. Length: 200 mm

Growing Moss

Growing moss on a variety of objects is relatively simple. There are a number of basic techniques you can use to grow moss, ranging from creating a moss mixture which you can paint onto surfaces like flagstones and wooden benches to transplanting sheets of moss into shady areas in your garden. Once established, moss requires little care beyond being kept moist. Keep in mind that moss grows slowly, so try not to be impatient while you grow moss.

There are thousands of species of plants in the Bryopsida genus, which encompasses the mosses. These plants vary widely in color and texture, but all of them are nonvascular, meaning that they lack familiar structures like leaves and flowers. Mosses also do not produce seeds; they reproduce using spores which are dispersed on the wind. The mosses are believed to be incredibly old, and they are extremely hardy; moss can be found flourishing in extreme cold, for example.

If you want to grow moss from scratch, first select a moss which you find attractive. Try to match your candidate moss to the area where you plan to grow moss. If you want to grow moss on stone planters or flagstones, for example, look for a moss which is growing on rock. Collect a handful of the moss, shaking off as much dirt as possible in the process.

Add the moss to a blender along with a half teaspoon of sugar and one cup of buttermilk, beer, or yogurt. Blend the moss mixture until it is just combined, and the moss has been broken up. Spread the mixture where you want the moss to grow, ideally somewhere cool, shady, and damp. If you want a moss mixture which is more like paint, add a small amount of clay. If you're spreading the moss mixture on soil, make sure that the soil is tightly packed and acidic, as moss prefers an acidic growing environment. Moss growth will emerge within a few weeks, usually.

I tried the buttermilk method to attach moss to canvas blocks, they seem to be growing slowly, although there seems to be some moulding around the edges where the buttermilk hasn't blended with the moss particularly well. I am using a combination of buttermilk and spring water (from the Speight's Brewery)to feed the moss I have transplanted to different surfaces which seems to be helping them stay alive in its new environment.

Proposal

For this drawing project I am interested in exploring idea's relating to feral children and the relationship between human and nature. With a particular focus on Daniel Defoe's concept of "mere nature delineated" which I would like to relate to a currant interest I have in urban moss; the way in which it can grow on the concrete of the City, self sustaining where nothing else survives, providing a stark contrast to the grey urban environment. I have been researching different types of moss and the conditions they live in, and am currantly experimenting with growing it on canvas. I have also been taking some photographs documenting different unusual enviroments where nature and human design meet.