Why Mushrooms? What started as a private preoccupation developed into a new identity and a much deeper sense of purpose in my work. Lead by my curiosity, eco-emotion and observing our ever expanding social system’s disconnection. Instead of sitting with my dread I wanted to create work that acted as both therapy and a conversational guide not only for myself but for others.
For me it wasn’t only the mushroom’s sculptural beauty that captured my interest_ these otherworldly organisms have many layers beneath their surface. As I continue to explore the relationship between three-dimensional sculpture and two-dimensional photography, both the beauty and fragility of the mushrooms became a muse and metaphor as I worked to emphasize some greater truths and answer some big questions about our collective future and the role we play to preserve it.
My hope is for the work to not only beautify your spaces but provides a platform for you to connect and continue the conversation with others into the fascinating world of Fungi!
As our internet connections get stronger our interpersonal and meaningful connections are getting weaker and more divided. Fungi are our eco-systems best connectors (Plants and humans wouldn’t exist without them!). Fungi are the flower of a hyphae network, collectively called a mycelium which connects individual plants together and carries information like our human equivalent ‘World Wide Web’. But more importantly they also carry nutrients to their forest community. They act from an ecosystem awareness instead of ego.
This is the kind of world I’d like to be entangled in and contribute to and where the idea to curate the ‘HYPHAE’ Art & Lifestyle collaborative experience was birthed.
Featured Art ‘Supernatural 4’
In my research into these magnificent sculptural entities I discovered that while some are psychedelic and have been used by Indigenous populations in ceremony for thousands of years, all mushrooms are truly magical and have inspired me to address a deeper connection of storytelling within and outside of my art practice. The ‘HYPHAE’ Art & Lifestyle platform’s ethos is to bring together under one roof, like minded people and entrepreneurs who are consciously creating environmentally sustainable products and production practices and striving to be better stewards of our planet.
‘Supernatural 2’
As the world has pivoted to country-centric and self-interested values, the symbiotic, connected efforts of fungal networks represent an example of both a mission and method to embrace_ there’s a necessity to course-correct and intervene to ensure the health of the natural systems we rely on.
If Fungi can make and unmake worlds - can we do the same? Can we unmake what we have done and create new networks of survival? I hold hope for a new renaissance. A society that can apply a more intimate narrative to how we connect and is more aware of how our social contributions can be opened to ecology & its profound wisdom. I hope we can re-define our society’s conditioned value systems and become more symbiotically connected rather than blindsided by the convenience of disconnection and extraction that harms us and our planet rather than heals.
Alongside the value of their message I loved manipulating their sculptural forms into a floral compositions, creating an exploration of beauty while emphasizing the critical example mushrooms provide to those of us who gaze upon the natural world.
Although I am in the infancy of my learnings about their extraordinary benefits, I believe Fungi have the power to change the way we evolve our minds, both medicinally & nutritionally. As well as carving new pathways for technological and industry production practices and lead us into a new Renaissance.
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
To accompany the ‘Supernatural’ fine art photography collection, I created a newspaper for those of us who like allocating time to consciously sit down to read and learn via a tactile, tangible transcript. Which happens to be the perfect alchemy for the better digestion of knowledge. There's a peace that comes with connecting to this style of ceremony.
The SUPERNATURAL Newspaper could drop into your mailbox at anytime (just reach out if you’d like me to post you a copy!). It will also be popping up in a few of your fav coffee shops around Toronto. If you grab one, take a picture of yourself ENJOYING reading it! Tag me @annachurch_art + use hashtag #supernatural_byannachurch and I shall love & share you back!
My hope is for the Supernatural collection of fine art prints to not only beautify your spaces but to create a vessel of curiosity and discovery for you to also believe in their magic! If you are curious to continue on this pilgrimage with me, here’s some inspiring links /Visionaries in the field to; Watch, Read, Listen and follow_
Links - Fantastic Fungi Film. Read - Entangled Life , Finding The Mother Tree. Follow - Fantastic Fungi, Paul Stamets, Giuliana Furci, suzanne Simard, Michael Pollan, Jae Rhim Lee, Ecovative