Mushrooms in art

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A Young Girl Preparing Chanterelles, Peter Ilsted, 1892 Peter Ilsted - En ung pige, der renser kantareller - 1892 - Statens Museum for Kunst - 2020903 KMS1817.jpg
A Young Girl Preparing Chanterelles , Peter Ilsted, 1892

Mushrooms have been found in art traditions around the world, including in western and non-western works. [1] Ranging throughout those cultures, works of art that depict mushrooms can be found in ancient and contemporary times. Often, symbolic associations can also be given to the mushrooms depicted in the works of art. For instance, in Mayan culture, mushroom stones have been found that depict faces in a dreamlike or trance-like expression, [2] which could signify the importance of mushrooms giving hallucinations or trances. Another example of mushrooms in Mayan culture deals with their codices, some of which might have depicted hallucinogenic mushrooms. [3] Other examples of mushroom usage in art from various cultures include the Pegtymel petroglyphs of Russia and Japanese Netsuke figurines. [1]

Contents

Examples of mushrooms being depicted in contemporary art are also prevalent. For example, a contemporary Japanese piece depicts baskets of matsutake mushrooms laid atop bank notes, signifying the association of mushrooms and prosperity. [1] Other examples of contemporary art depicting fungi include Anselm Kiefer's Über Deutschland and Sonja Bäumel's Objects not static and silent but alive and talking. [4] These contemporary works often outline themes greatly undercurrent in modern times, themes such as sustainable living, new materials, and ethical considerations associated with the science of fungi and biotechnologies. [4] In fact, working with fungi allows contemporary artists to create art that is interactive and performative. [5]

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch High Resolution.jpg
The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch

Mushroom symbolism has also appeared in Christian paintings. The panel painting by Hieronymus Bosch, The Haywain Triptych, is considered the first depiction of mushroom in modern art. [6] Another triptych by Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights , depicts scenes very similar to those experienced under the effects of psychoactive mushrooms. [7] In fact, when considering the mushroom of Amanita muscaria, artistic representations throughout the ages show the association it has with psychotropic properties, being represented as being used for social, religious, and therapeutic purposes. [7]

Registry of Mushrooms in Works of Art

The 1959 Alice in Wonderland sculpture by Jose de Creeft in Central Park, New York City, features several mushrooms Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park.jpg
The 1959 Alice in Wonderland sculpture by Jose de Creeft in Central Park, New York City, features several mushrooms

The Registry of Mushrooms in Works of Art is maintained by the North American Mycological Association and its stated goal is, "to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between mushrooms and people as reflected in works of art from different historical periods, and to provide enjoyment to anyone interested in the subject." [8] Started by Elio Schaechter, author of In the Company of Mushrooms, the project is ongoing. [9]

Art periods and artists are categorized as follows in the registry:

References

  1. 1 2 3 Yamin-Pasternak, Sveta (2011-07-07), "Ethnomycology: Fungi and Mushrooms in Cultural Entanglements", Ethnobiology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 213–230, doi:10.1002/9781118015872.ch13, ISBN   978-1-118-01587-2
  2. ↑ Lowy, B. (September 1971). "New Records of Mushroom Stones from Guatemala". Mycologia. 63 (5): 983–993. doi:10.2307/3757901. ISSN   0027-5514. JSTOR   3757901. PMID   5165831.
  3. ↑ Lowy, Bernard (July 1972). "Mushroom Symbolism in Maya Codices". Mycologia. 64 (4): 816–821. doi:10.2307/3757936. ISSN   0027-5514. JSTOR   3757936.
  4. 1 2 Nai, Corrado; Meyer, Vera (2016-11-29). "The beauty and the morbid: fungi as source of inspiration in contemporary art". Fungal Biology and Biotechnology. 3 (1): 10. doi: 10.1186/s40694-016-0028-4 . ISSN   2054-3085. PMC   5611638 . PMID   28955469.
  5. ↑ Rapp, Regine (December 2019). "On mycohuman performances: fungi in current artistic research". Fungal Biology and Biotechnology. 6 (1): 22. doi: 10.1186/s40694-019-0085-6 . ISSN   2054-3085. PMC   6892145 . PMID   31827811.
  6. ↑ Lawrence, Sandra (2022). The magic of mushrooms : fungi in folklore, superstition and traditional medicine. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. London. ISBN   978-1-78739-906-8. OCLC   1328029699.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. 1 2 Michelot, Didier; Melendez-Howell, Leda Maria (February 2003). "Amanita muscaria: chemistry, biology, toxicology, and ethnomycology". Mycological Research. 107 (2): 131–146. doi:10.1017/s0953756203007305. ISSN   0953-7562. PMID   12747324.
  8. ↑ "Registry of Mushrooms in Works of Art: Introduction". North American Mycological Association. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  9. ↑ "Registry of Mushrooms in Works of Art: Contributors". North American Mycological Association. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
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