The Exhibition
August 31 - October 14, 2023
Microbes are Earth’s oldest living organisms. They live in consortia with all other forms of life. Trillions of microbes occupy all bodies—living or dead, human, or animal --inside and out. Microbes are woven within the intricacies of our ecosystems. They permeate clouds, atmospheres, and human brains. “Microbial Multiverse” is an exhibition of interconnected bodies of work celebrating these latent lifeforms and their multifaceted function within our universe.
Microbes are responsible for cycling carbon and nutrients within the soil allowing nutrient rich flora to grow and fauna to flourish and decompose. Some are extremophiles, capable of surviving in the harshest conditions including Earth’s polar caps and even outer space. Microbes are essential components of all biological life, yet we still know so little about them. This work explores what we can learn from their ability to communicate across species, adapt and thrive. How can we better understand and appreciate the microbial role among our planet and potentially beyond? The bodies of work described below employ a variety of media and approaches to depict the elusive and remarkable existence of these miniature marvels.
SARAH HEARN
Sarah Hearn is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher and educator based in Norman, OK. Through research-based explorations of biological life and natural phenomena, Hearn’s art practice inhabits two realms - one grounded in studies of life on planet earth, and another in an atmosphere of science fiction. Her artwork reveals a multitude of invisible worlds hidden in nature opening a path of discovery to empathetic interspecies learning/appreciation. The artist works fluently in the media of drawing, photography, installation, book making and social practice. She frequently collaborates with fellow artists, scientists and municipalities on rhizomatic projects that expand the fields art and the concept of community.
WEBSITE: SARAHHEARN.ART
INSTAGRAM: @SARAHMHEARN
FACEBOOK: SARAHHEARNART
ISOLATED CULTURES
(EVERYWHERE)
These small sculptures are my personal response to the pandemic and a continuation of my study of the invisible life forms all around us. Each glass petri dish contains miniature felted representations of microbial life including: bacteria, viruses, micro-algae, yeast, molds amoebas and archaea. The motley biomes sit/rest/dwell/exist atop one-of-a-kind darkroom photograms and drawings as “culture bases”. The microbes are made from 100% hand-felted wool. Many layers of artistic life are contained inside each isolated culture—likely with traces of my personal biome that are not visible to either of us.
SENTIENT SUBTERRANEAN
(IN BETWEEN)
Hidden within topsoil, invisible microbial and fungal communities make sensitive sentient networks that connect forest organisms and regulate nutrient distribution among plants and trees. Fungi are largely responsible for recycling decaying matter into soil and eradicating pollutants from ecosystems; yet their life cycle defies our current understanding. Their ability to exist in states between life and death These gel pen drawings are meditative explorations of the subterranean mycelium hyphae and bacterial colonies inhabiting them. What can we learn from these vastly understudied life forms and their ancient networks of knowledge?
PORTRAIT GALLERY
OF INVISIBLE LIFE
(EVERYWHERE)
This series of 8” square watercolor paintings feature individual portraits of the bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea found within the Isolated Culture sculptures and the Sentient Subterranean networks. Using a tight field of vision and a stark background, they pay homage to scientific photography while playfully capturing the wonders of extraordinary life too small to view with the naked eye.