Tim Eichwald, Interdisciplinary Sculpture, 2023
Project Overview
This project used Grey Dove (Pleurotus Ostreatus) oyster mycelium to “weave” a basket-like nest out of straw. This nest was then populated with egg-like objects sculpted from polymer clay. These “eggs” each reference other biological materials or processes. They appear here out of their typical context, just as basket weaving is not the typical behavior or context of mycelium.
Process
An autoclave-safe bag was filled with straw and sterilized. This bag was then inoculated with Pleurotus Ostreatus grain spawn and left to be colonized. After approximately two weeks, the colonized material was removed from the bag and placed into a mold made from two sterile metal bowls. The top bowl was removed after several days, and after another week the form was removed and placed in a sterile environment for the remainder of its colonization. The form was then baked at approximately 70ยบ C to dehydrate the mycelium and halt any further growth.
