If you’ve visited Space 4 Art during an Open Studios this year, you’ve probably noticed an intriguing terrarium sitting atop the piano in the co-live space. S4A’s Curtis Bracher has embarked on an epic journey into the world of mycelium, which he refers to as the Mycelium Running Project. Not only is this project beautiful to look at, but it has rich implications for Curtis’s drawing practice.

“In this experimental drawing project, I’m working with mycelium as a living breathing structure, connective and communicative (Stamets). Trying to visualize the communication, activity and interactivity, as well, and in stunning admiration, the robustness of cooperation within the biological matrix of an ‘old growth’ forest.”

Curtis is using sensors to read electrical impulses present in the pod. He reads these impulses as activity and intends to use the impulses to generate visual patterning. Curtis says, “As much as possible, I’ll be trying to get the electrical and chemical communications to match up to a gestural and expressive mark of human visual perception– color, line, texture, shape, etc. I plan to try a lot of different methods to see if and how the forest communicates…In the end, I’m hoping that the Mycelium shows me how to draw.”

Curtis is a long-time resident artist at Space 4 Art and teaches drawing at several of the local colleges. We are also lucky enough to have Curtis teaching in Space 4 Art’s K-12 STEAM program at various partner sites. His most recent project with the students was ink drawings at Monarch School.

Curtis is working on his second pod in his studio. We invite you to come see his progress and talk to him about what he’s learned, at our next Open Studios on December 9th!

Mycelium Running Project by Curtis Bracher