Detrivorous: The Colors of Morphogenesis is an electronic sculpture that reads the subtle hues of lichen growing on a spinning branch using a light sensor. These color values are translated into the glow of an LED embedded in handmade paper, synchronizing with an evolving soundscape of natural environments—the auditory world that lichens might “experience” in their ecosystems.
As the motor turns the branch, the shifting tones of the lichen surface determine which natural sounds are selected from a mini-MP3 player, drawing on the emerging field of plant and fungal bioacoustics. Current research suggests that many organisms, including plants and symbiotic organisms like lichens, respond to environmental sound cues. Low-frequency vibrations have been shown to influence root growth and fungal hyphal direction, while certain sound patterns can trigger defensive or adaptive responses. This work extends those findings into an art context, using sound to explore the unseen sensory lives of non-human species.
Lichens are remarkable symbiotic organisms composed of a partnership between fungi, photosynthetic algae or cyanobacteria, and a complex community of associated bacteria. They reproduce through a variety of strategies—either by releasing fungal spores that later reunite with compatible algal partners, or by dispersing soredia or isidia, tiny clumps containing both partners ready to colonize new surfaces. Their growth is slow, sometimes only a few millimeters per year, and their lifespans can stretch into centuries, making them among the most enduring life forms on Earth.
In natural ecosystems, lichens serve as keystone species and an important food source. In the Arctic, caribou and reindeer rely heavily on “reindeer moss” (Cladonia rangiferina) during the winter months when other forage is scarce. Many invertebrates, such as mites, springtails, and some caterpillars, feed on lichen tissues, while birds—including certain species of warblers, wrens, and hummingbirds—harvest lichens to weave camouflaged nests. Rodents, such as voles and squirrels, also eat lichens and use them for nesting. By providing both shelter and sustenance, lichens knit together a web of life that bridges kingdoms and phyla.
The augmented, electrified lichens of this sculpture metaphorically beckon to the living plants in the greenhouse, much like real environmental sounds influence plant physiology. Research in plant bioacoustics shows that roots may grow toward the sound of running water and that certain sound frequencies can stimulate defense responses against herbivorous insects. In this installation, the soundscape—composed of insect calls, flowing river recordings, and birdsong—becomes a living conversation between species, mediated by light, color, and vibration. It is an immersive, interactive environment that acknowledges plants, lichens, insects, and humans as participants in a shared ecological network.
Materials: Lichen, branches, electronics, nature sounds, light sensor, feathers, acrylic tubing, handmade paper, coding.
Special thanks
Curators Doo Sung Yoo and Amy Youngs
Devin Powell, studio assistant and programmer
Aaron Peters artist, teacher for paper-making lessons
Artist Dorothy Gill Barnes who carved some of these branches at the bottom of the sculpture
The the trees and fungi that contributed to this making
Exhibitions
THE BIOSCIENCES GREENHOUSE Columbus, Ohio, April 22, 2024 In a Hotter House exhibition Premiere of Detrivorous: The Colors of Morphogenesis and select environmental works from the SIGN Series. Invited by Doo Sung Yoo and Amy Youngs.
SP/N GALLERY Dallas, Texas, Feb 7-Apr, 2026
Organic Worlds: Symbiogenesis in Art presents the World wide premiere of Symbiogenesis, and Anicca Antennae-Soil as Brain; robotic beings, as avatars to insects, soil and bacteria as well as The Evolution of Information = Life, Organic Murmuration, SIGNS, The Farm Fountain, 3 Story Robots. Two person exhibition with Amy Youngs. Invited by Professor Dr Charissa Terranova.