In studio, for scale
In studio, for scale
Aleksandra Rdest
Lichens Islands Artist Statement
The organisms in these photographs are lichen which rarely grow higher than 20mm. Aleksandra Rdest’s fascination with lichen began with her recognition that their tiny complex forms are fractal analogs of life on a larger scale. This makes lichen an intriguing metaphor for wilderness. Rdest is seeking to draw attention to the increased fragmentation of natural environments. “Wilderness” was once something that existed beyond human habitation; these days, “wilderness” areas are cut off from each other and surrounded by human intervention. Rdest’s quest to find wilderness in her own life made her look more closely at her surroundings.
Lichen are such a small but powerful force; they can live on exposed rock in very harsh conditions. Slowly dissolving the rock they inhabit, they contribute to soil formation. In his book “Lichens” William Purvis writes
“vegetation dominated by lichens covers 8% of earths land surface… they act as carbon sinks by consuming carbon dioxide used in photosynthesis and therefore play a part in delaying global warming”.
A high resolution digital camera has allowed Rdest to see details that were not accessible to the naked eye. She discovered little gardens within the forests, other forms of lichen growing on the lichen she was studying, grains of sand that look like boulders. The lichen islands are mini ecosystems. Rdest chose to present the lichen as small islands; photographed from their “ground” level to give the viewer a more familiar vantage point. Operating at the threshold of available consumer technology; these miniscule still lives are photographed with very shallow depth of field.
2011
Scroll right to view LICHEN ISLANDS series. Prints AVAILABLE at Rumi Galleries 34 X 34 inches, edition of 5 + 2 AP. All images copyright Aleksandra Rdest 2011.
