Phil Ross

Dense foam, yeasty bricks, tubular protrusions and chunky domes characterize the sculptures of Phil Ross, an innovative artist and researcher with a passion for mycology (the study of fungi). In the series Pure Culture (1997-present), Ross harnesses the various properties of mushrooms to create an array of shapes: from small, delicate toadstools, to something resembling a bakery explosion. The fungi are coaxed and teased using moulds to produce appealing forms, yet the end result relies on the particularity of each specimen.

Some pieces are the direct result of Ross’s research; though fungi are often associated with pharmaceutical breakthroughs, Ross seeks to unlock their potential as building materials. a large six foot wide by six foot high arch, titled Mycotectural Alpha, is an imposing structure made from bricks of rock-hard mycelium, root-like fibers of the mushroom Ganoderma Lucidum. Impacted into a mass as strong as concrete, the mycelium is harvested and cut into blocks. The spongy bricks have been skillfully fashioned into an arch; fibers cling to the sides of the structure, revealing its organic origin. Not only an effective sculptural material, innovation in the harvest of mycelium shows its great potential as a biodegradable, inexpensive and reliable alternative to plastic, even Styrofoam. 

Another fungal sculpture is patiently teased into a semblance of Harold Edgerton’s iconic Milk Splash photograph (middle, right). The twisting, fragile toadstools stretch toward the sky along a spongy rounded base. Ross literally transports mushrooms ‘out of the dark’; he playfully invites the viewer to share his curiosity and enthusiasm for these specimens, and the result is an all-encompassing celebration of their dynamic physicality. For more information on Ross and his projects, click here.

-Stephanie Read