Disrupted Symbiosis 2022

In Disrupted Symbiosis, a series of four multimedia augmented reality paintings inspired by my ecological research, we are asked to consider the politics of human-mediated species loss. My scientific investigations on Joshua tree pollinator and fungal populations have demonstrated that climate change impacts Joshua trees through species interactions that may fracture with the changing climate. This work has directly influenced current Joshua tree species protections. I apply this research to create underground painted soilscapes that hold an abundance of information on fungal species, soil types, temperatures, and moisture, which are coded as colors and texture. Illustrated root patterns are taken from Joshua tree roots grown in glass chambers and treated with desert fungi, allowing for a collaboration between the plant, fungi, and myself. The tears in the paper and changing stitching patterns represent my symbiotic findings and the outcomes of tree-fungal relationships across climate zones. Each painting comes together as a unique experience of the Joshua tree ecosystem from a precise climatic location at my field sites. The painting can be activated by the viewer by downloading the free Artivive phone app. The Joshua tree paintings become animated, sharing a different threat for the Joshua tree ecosystem.  The frames are constructed and sourced from the salvaged wood of degraded Jackrabbit homesteads from the Mojave.