Paul Farmer Artist
(G)LI(T)CHEN
This body of work follows a progression from macro photo documentation to Op Art digital collages to video animation.
1. Research: Lichen are symbiotic organisms composed of fungi and green alga or cyanobacterium. As they do not have a root structure, lichen receive all of their nutrients from the air and act as a "canary in the coal mine" for nitrogen pollution. They are an indicator species for nitrous oxides- greenhouse gases emitted from vehicle exhaust and the burning of coal, oil, diesel fuel, and natural gas, especially from electric power plants. By studying changes in regional populations, scientists can track changes in air quality.
2. Documentation: This work began on treks in National and State Parks using macro
photography. Up close, these microcosms appear otherworldly. The more I began to
look around the more I began to notice them. Studying lichen species can tell us a lot
about the environmental health of a particular region.
3. Op-Art: The photographs are digitally cut and arranged using geometric designs,
with unstable dimensions, reminding us to question what we see. The photomontages are “signed” with a QR Code. Scanning them with a Smartphone, each code leads the viewer to an animated version of that design on Vimeo. This takes the viewer out of a passive role of observer to one of interaction.
4. Video Art: Each design is layered, animated, and “glitched”. These videos consist of sequences that combine sound with rhythmic changes in abstract textural imagery. Set to repetitive human and mechanical sounds, this adds a nice contrast to the organic nature of the lichen.
5. Living Sculpture: For more context, terrariums are constructed with lichen samples and native plants serving as sculptures in the exhibition.
Special Thanks
Thank you to the North Carolina Arts Council, Iredell Arts Council and CPCC Arts for helping to make this exhibition possible. This project received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina, the Burke Arts Council, the Caldwell Arts Council, the United Arts Council of Catawba County, the Rock School Arts Foundation, the Hiddenite Center, Iredell Arts Council, and McDowell Arts Council Association.