Sclerotia

Nature has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember, from playing outside as a young child to the hikes I take with my fiancé and our dog now. Even as a young child the wonders of the natural world did not escape my notice, especially the magic of finding mushrooms where there weren't any the day before. I found the otherworldly nature of the mushrooms fascinating and the beautiful patterns and textures of them especially captured my attention. In my work I explore the intricate patterns of fungi focusing primarily on the fibrous and branching mycelium networks that can spread for miles and allow plants to communicate with each other via electric signals. I Strive to share the delicate beauty of these networks by creating a magnified facsimile of them so that anyone can share in the wonder I felt as a child discovering fungi growing in my backyard.

Bio

Riley Blocher is a metalsmith from western New York currently working in Portland, Maine and is set to graduate from Maine College of Art & Design with a BFA in May of 2022. Her work is heavily inspired by patterns found in the natural world and the patterns therein. Using thin nickel wire she creates intricately woven mycelium networks in order to share her love for the pattern of fungi with her viewers.