Filed under: Environmental Collection walks and samples
As a part of B+M’s project Stratimentation: investigations of a metamorphic landscape, organic and inorganic samples are being collected over a 1-1/2 year period. Collections include soil cores, rock samples, plant life, urban detritus, environmental audio and video, tree drawings, microbial drawings, and fungi (see directly below). Selected soil, rock, and art samples were cultured for microbiological activity. All samples were incorporated into an archive for the project (see installation, research station category).
Bartow+Metzgar meeting with the Boston Mycological Club in the visitor’s parking lot of the deCordova Sculpture Park + Museum on the morning of July 11th, 2010. The BMC hosted a fungi foray on the grounds of the Sculpture Park in conjunction with B+M’s project Stratimentation: investigations of a metamorphic landscape. The attendance was excellent and many different species of fungi were located despite the stretch of dry weather preceding the event. deCordova’s fungi will be mapped out over the course of the summer into the fall of 2010 with the assistance of the BMC.
Members and guest of the BMC displaying the fungi collected on the deCordova site. A field map of the deCordova site was produced by B+M specifically for mapping the locations of different species of fungi. A total of six fungi forays will be hosted by the BMC in collaboration with Bartow+Metzgar’s project. The dates of future fungi forays are: August 7th, August 28th, September 18th, October 9th, and October 30th.
Fungi Specimens from BMC fungi foray, July 2010.
Fungi Specimens from BMC fungi foray, July 2010.
Fungi Specimens from BMC fungi foray, July 2010.
Fungi Specimens and B+M’s field map from BMC fungi foray, July 2010.
Detail of fungi field map used to record specimen field notes, e.g., location, species, visual markers, etc.
Vector map of material relations between sculptures in the deCordova Sculpture Park, used to produce random collection points on the park site. Collection points are produced where vectors of differing materials intersect. Black and orange circles represent sculpture locations. Smaller circles represent collection points.
Collecting samples in July 2010 at collection point #21-318
Collection bag, # 21-318
Organic sample, collection #21-318
Organic sample, # 21-318
Organic sample, # 21-318
Inorganic sample/material culture, collection #21-318
Placing microbial drawing plate in a hole 12″ deep at collection point #21-318, July 12th, 2010. The location of the plate is marked with GPS coordinates so that it can be retrieved at a later date. This is a nonhuman drawing process that involves bacteria, soil, and water – a virtual drawing environment. The drawing (a sheet of 8-1/2″x11″ vellum paper sandwiched between two Plexi plates) is buried for a determinant amount of time (from 1 month to 1 year) and pulled at a later date. The drawing is then swabbed and cultured for bacterial analysis to see who its authors are.
Digging up microbial drawing plate August 13th, 2010
Microbial drawing, collection #21-318, 7-12-10 to 8-13-10, 33 days. More on nonhuman drawing here.
Collecting samples at collection point #20-322
Organic sample, collection #20-322
Organic sample, collection #20-322
Organic sample, collection #20-322
Inorganic sample/material culture, collection #20-322
Collecting samples at collection point #19-367
Organic sample, collection #19-367
Organic sample, collection #19-367
Organic sample, collection #19-367
Digging hole for microbial drawing plate, collection point #18-291, May 1st, 2010.
Detail of microbial drawing plate at collection point #18-291
Digging up microbial drawing plate, collection #18-291, August 13th, 2010.
Microbial drawing, collection #18-291, 5-1-10 to 8-13-10, 105 days
Inorganic sample/material culture, collection #18-291
Organic sample, collection #18-291
Organic sample, collection #18-291
Collecting samples in March 2010 at collection point #17-343.
Organic sample (fungi), collection #17-343
Organic sample, collection #17-343
Inorganic sample/material culture, collection #17-343
Collection #16-345. Swabbing an art piece from the deCordova art collection for bacteria culturing. Several art pieces were randomly chosen using the vector map pictured above. The vector system allowed B+M to select pieces across time, i.e., from the Museum’s history of acquiring work for their permanent collection. Swabbing points were selectively chosen on the frame, glass, or backing paper with the use of a location directive.
Collection #16-345, Alexander Ross, Untitled, 2001. Accession year: 2005 (red dot represents swabbing point on picture glass)
Bacteria culture from Alexander Ross piece (see above), collection #16-345
Collection #16-345, Harriet Casdin-Silver, Venus of Willendorf, 1991. Accession year: 1999 (red dot represents swabbing point on picture glass)
Bacteria culture from Venus of Willendorf (see above), collection #16-345
Collection #16-345, Jules Aarons, Untitled (West End ) from the portfolio In The Jewish Neighborhoods, 1946-76, printed 2003, Accession year: 2008 (red dot represents swabbing point on picture glass)
Bacteria culture from Jules Aarons piece (see above), collection #16-345
Collection #16-345, Aaron Siskind, Providence 15, 1975, Accession year: 1990 (red dot represents swabbing point on picture glass)
Bacteria culture from Providence 15 (see above), collection #16-345
B+M preparing bacteria cultures in the microbiology lab at Oswego State University.
Collection bag, # 15-274
Organic sample, collection #15-274
Organic sample, collection #15-274
Organic sample, collection #15-274
Collection bag, # 14-288
Organic sample, collection # 14-288
Organic sample, collection # 14-288
Organic sample, collection # 14-288
Organic sample, collection # 13-283
Organic sample, collection # 13-283
Organic sample, collection # 13-283
Organic sample (with lichen), collection # 13-283
Collecting samples in February 2010 at collection point #12-286.
Organic sample, collection # 12-286
Organic sample, collection # 12-286
Organic sample, collection # 12-286
Organic sample, collection # 12-286
Geologic sample, rock slice, collection #12-286a
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection # 12-286a
Inorganic samples and geologic sample, collection # 11-407 (collection point inside the DeCordova Museum)
Collection bag, # 10-332
Organic sample, collection # 10-332
Organic sample, collection # 10-332
Organic samples, collection # 10-332
Organic sample, collection # 9-313
Organic sample, collection # 9-313
Organic samples, collection # 9-313
Collecting samples in January 2010 at collection point #8-292.
Organic sample (with lichen), collection # 8-292
Organic sample, collection # 8-292
Organic sample, collection # 8-292
Digging up microbial drawing plate, collection #7-350, August 13th, 2010
Microbial drawing, collection #7-350, 11-8-09 to 8-13-10, 278 days
Organic sample, collection # 7-350
Organic sample, collection # 7-350
Organic sample, collection # 7-350
Organic sample, collection # 7-350
Geologic sample, rock slice, collection #7-350
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection # 7-350
Anaerobic bacteria culture from pulverized rock sample, #7-350
Collecting pulverized rock sample for anaerobic bacteria culture.
Preparing culture plates with growth medium.
Collecting samples with DeCordova patrons at collection point #6-292, November 11th, 2009.
Collection #6-292
Organic sample, collection # 6-292
Organic sample, collection # 6-292
Organic sample, collection # 6-292
Organic sample, collection # 6-292
Geologic sample, rock slice, collection #6-292
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #6-292
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #6-292
Digging hole for microbial drawing plate, collection point #6-292, November 11th, 2009
Digging up microbial drawing, collection #6-292, August 13th, 2010
Microbial drawing, collection #6-292, 11-11-09 to 8-13-10, 275 days
Organic sample, collection #5-320
Organic sample, collection #5-320
Geologic sample, collection #5-320
Organic sample, collection #5-320
Geologic sample, rock slice, collection #5-320
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection # 7-350
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #5-320
Burying microbial drawing plate, collection point #5-320, November 11th, 2009.
Digging up microbial drawing plate, collection # 5-320, August 13th, 2010.
Microbial drawing, collection #5-320, 11-11-09 to 8-13-10, 275 days
Bacteria culture from soil sample, #5-320
Digging hole for microbial drawing plate at collection point #4-281, September 24th, 2009.
Digging up microbial drawing plate, collection# 4-281, August 12th, 2010
Microbial drawing, collection #4-281, 9-24-09 to 8-12-10, 323 days
Collection bag filled with samples from collection #4-281.
Organic sample, #4-281
Organic sample, #4-281
Organic sample (fungi), #4-281
Geologic sample, rock slice, collection# 4-281B
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #4-281B
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #4-281C
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #4-281E
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #4-281E
Bacteria culture from soil sample, #4-281
Collecting with deCordova patrons at collection point # 3-302, September 24th, 2009.
Burying microbial drawing plate #3-302, September 24th, 2009.
Microbial drawing plate pulled from ground, collection #3-302, August 12th, 2010. Over 95% of the microbial drawing degraded while buried, which leads to speculations about bacterial activity, moisture level, burial procedure, etc.
Microbial drawing, collection #3-302, 9-24-09 to 8-12-10, 323 days
Geologic sample, rock slice, collection #3-302A
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #3-302A
Geologic sample, rock slice/material culture, collection#3-302B
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #3-302B
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #3-302B
Collecting samples with deCordova patrons at collection point #2-308, August 15th, 2009.
Burying microbial drawing plate at collection point #2-308, August 15th, 2009.
Digging up microbial drawing plate, collection #2-308, August 12th, 2010.
Microbial drawing, collection #2-308
Organic sample, collection #2-308
Inorganic sample/material culture, collection #2-308
Organic sample, collection #2-308
Organic sample, collection #2-308
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #2-308A
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #2-308B
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #2-308G
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #2-308G
Geologic sample, collection #2-308H
Geologic sample, rock slice, collection #2-308H
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #2-308H
Collecting with two deCordova patrons during B+M’s first public collection walk, collection point #1-213, August 8th, 2009.
Digging hole for microbial drawing plate, collection # 1-213.
Burying microbial drawing plate at collection #1-213, August 8th, 2009.
Digging up microbial drawing plate, collection #1-213, August 12th, 2010.
Microbial drawing, collection # 1-213, 8-8-09 to 8-12-10, 370 days
Organic sample pulled from collection #1-213
Organic sample, collection #1-213
Organic sample, collection point #1-213
Organic sample, collection #1-213
Geologic sample, collection #1-213
Geologic sample, rock slice, collection #1-213
Geologic sample, magnification of rock slice 30X (field of view 4.3mm x 3.26mm), collection #1-213
Anaerobic bacteria culture from interior of rock sample, #1-213
