BioLumina
Photo: World of WearableArt
Photo: World of WearableArt
Photo: World of WearableArt
Year: 2010
Event: World of WearableArt Creative Excellence Theme Art of Light Section Finalist
Award: International Runner Up Award Australia/ South Pacific
Inspiration:
BioLumina continues my exploration of the fascinating forms of fungus and lichen – their delicate frilled edges, their strange and intricate shapes and patterns, and for some, the amazing quality of bioluminescence . Bioluminescence is the almost magical seeming ability of a living organism to produce and emit light, the word literally meaning ‘living light’. BioLumina was inspired by a colony of delicate translucent mushrooms, so tiny and concealed that they could easily be missed – I photographed them on a holiday to Cairns. Their form has been enlarged, expanded, and extended to create a celebration of this hidden beauty, glowing gently in the night.
Materials & Techniques:
Organza, mesh, foil jersey, plastic tubing, elwire, reflective paint, fishing line
More Information:
BioLumina was purchased by the Montana World of WearableArt Awards Trust for the Collection, and has been used in many promotional photo shoots and roles for WOW. It was also featured in an Air New Zealand tourism campaign including billboards and merchandise, and 1 of 100 World of WearableArt Collection garments performing at the 40th Hong Kong Arts Festival. In 2011, it was the ‘hero’ garment of the show, meaning it was used on all the banners and advertising – including the main doors to the TSB Arena where the event is held.
Bonus Information:
BioLumina was influenced by my 2009 exhibition Morphology, for which I made a hanging work based on the tiny, delicate mushrooms I had photographed on a trip to Cairns. (It was made of undyed silk organza and stitched with silk thread, just in case I decided to dye it. Pintucks were stitched all around a circle of silk to shape and texture it, and wire was inserted in channels to help hold the shape. Large plastic tubes were used as the stems, and covered with material to hide them. These were connected to a circle of perpex so they could hang, and sway in the breeze).
My husband Matt was responsible for connecting the elwire, which required very skillful soldering to join them as I requested. His patience was severely challenged, and he requested I never work with elwire again.
BioLumina received the International Runner Up Award for the Australia/ South Pacific region, and I couldn’t get up on the stage fast enough to receive it. It was an absolutely wonderful feeling, which I was able to share with my sister that year.
