MW | Real Unreal | Symbiont

*final installation images will be available Fall 2023

Most people use the phrase “Symbiotic Relationship” to mean an arrangement that is mutually beneficial.

In actuality, there are many types of relationships that organisms have with each other

After ending a long term relationship, I began to think a lot more about how we choose to engage with one another. I began to acknowledge that mutual benefit isn’t necessarily the default. There are specific circumstances and agreements that have to take place for mutualism to occur. Neutrality is also an option. Parasitism and competition are others, etc.

This piece shows an ecosystem (a perceived individual as an ecosystem) and the different kinds of relationships it has. The main character has a form inspired by a creature called a Lacrymaria Olor, colloquially known as a “Swan Tear”. That felt apt.

Sketches:

Process: (Welding Support: Geoff Banzoff. Tech Support: Dre Gallegos)

Details: (Leeches, Snails, Eggs, Coral, Kelp)

And yes, I, a human, was there in a blacklight cube, trying to mix colors so they look good in both “natural” light and UV light. It was a success.