Pacific Spirit Park Redux: November 3, 2009

I returned to Pacific Spirit Park on Tuesday to retrace the walk and spend more time with the fungus Terry discussed.  I wanted to take some photographs and experiment with some drawing exercises.   Using some drawing exercises such as blind contour and touch-based drawing, I explored the form and  texture of mushrooms with my fingertips and my eyes.  It reminded me of the phrase Donna Harawy uses- “fingery eyes.”  So many senses are used to identify mushrooms and each of them essential in understanding the laws of their categorization.  Their cup-like form, scabby stems, inky surfaces and cucumber scents all determine difference.  Mycelium is an organism that is sexually ambiguous, comprised of a multitude of single cell wall thick hyphae, capable of growing to enormous proportions, and yet is only seen and classified by it’s fruit.