Morchella Mushroom Lamp by Nate Hill

Description

The base of this Morchella lamp is made from turned end-grain spalted maple. Spalting occurs when fungi invade and digest … more The base of this Morchella lamp is made from turned end-grain spalted maple. Spalting occurs when fungi invade and digest wood. The line patterns that form are called zone lines. These zone lines are barriers that fungal agents produce in order to protect and delineate their territory as they compete to digest the wood. Zone lines produced by fungi are made of melanin, the same pigment that humans produce in their skin.

The base is complimented by an organic shade made from a wire frame that is coated with a pigmented paper-mache overlay. Shellacked rice paper fits inside the shade form. The effect is a sculptural, mottled light--a beautiful compliment to modern and contemporary Interiors. Multiples of this lamp are available!

Artist Statement:
Nate Hill is an artist and librarian who lives in Yorktown Heights, NY. He has an undergraduate degree in studio art from Skidmore College, a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute, and was an affiliate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University.

Throughout Nate’s career he has made art that explores natural forms at different scales, from microscopic to universal. His current work focuses on biodiversity, the climate crisis, and positive futures that might be achieved through close observation of complex natural ecosystems and speculative designs.
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