8% of the Earth's Surface: Sarah Hearn

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View of Sarah Hearn's Studio 

SarahHearn has developed an enviable working knowledge of botanical classification. Preparingfor the Concept/OK:Art in Oklahomaexhibition, the Oklahoma City artist works as diligently on scientific researchas her drawing, photography and mixed media artwork.

Her “SymbioticCooperation” project fuses science and art as she investigates the lichenorganisms. Through drawing, photography and crowd-sourced lichen samples, Hearnspeculates about “how humans can collaborate with, understand and mimic smallunassuming forms in nature, specifically, lichen.”

Sarah Hearn, Flavoparmeilia_caperata, lichen sample

Sarah Hearn, Collemia auriforme, lichen sample

As I have visited her studio over the past six months, first with theguest curator Alison Hearst, I have been enthralled by the strange story oflichen.  Hearn spouts off the odditiesand strengths with great fluency.
My memories of the facts were edited by Sarah in the list below withSarah’s updates in blue to show her depth of interest and good naturedfascination with lichen.
LICHEN:

• cover 8% of the Earth’s surface (true- here is the source: Lichens of North America)
• can survive upwards of 4,000 years (upwards of 1,000 years, beyond that, we are unsure. Read in multiplesources, but also mentioned in text above.)
• are hybrid organisms, both alga and fungus (I would call them composite organisms of a fungus andeither an alga or a cyanobacteria)
• What else?? (lichensrecently survived space travel. see the article here: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-06/25/lichen-survives-space)

Read more in this Art Focus Oklahoma magazine article or on Hearn’s own blog sarahhearn.blogspot.com.  TheConcept/OK: Art in Oklahoma exhibition opens December 16, 1-5 pm at the newTulsa Arts and Humanities Council’s Hardesty Arts Center. See www.concept-ok.org for more information.