BIOSPHERES LIFE LEGEND
Life: ceramic, mirror, copper leaf, 3.5” x 12.5” x 13”
Biospheres exhibit introduces the Flora series with a trio and tribute to our plant family who created our atmosphere as one of the key elements necessary for all life on Earth.
In the spirit of a mandala and tree of life, the first Flora shield, Life, reaches above and below straddling the realms of the seen and unseen. The mirror reflects the interior and ourselves as we peer inward. The exterior elements expand up and outward with a bow to thriving and abundance. Life celebrates 9 branches of the plant kingdom. It starts where all life began at the microscopic level in the sea to the most massive of all plants or any living organism, the mighty sequoia. From the center, the 9 mini shields within the shield spiral down and clockwise around to the outer right rim. Elements from each section lead you to the next one. Enjoy the adventure:
1. Phytoplankton: Water indeed is life and the ocean is where it all began on our blue planet. The first undisputed fossil evidence of cyanobacteria and photosynthesis was 2.15 billion years ago. Plants had their start with phytoplankton inside the one-cell lace-like jewels like this radiolaria. The exquisite microscopic silica lace architecture was home to early plant life and still is today. The ocean photosynthesizes over 50% of Earth’s oxygen, providing every other breath we take. A deep bow to the mighty micro greens that started the world of flora.
2. Coral Reefs: Warm, shallow coral reefs are both a plant, zooxanthellae and an animal, the reef-building polyp. The plant is the microscopic dinoflagellate that provides nutrients powered by solar energy for the coral and lives within its cells. This pink and red coral gem is releasing her eggs. Brain and star coral spawn at the full moon once a year in late July to early August.
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3. Leaf Engineering: When plants shifted from the sea to land about 400 million years ago they were a simple stalk and as they grew in numbers so they exhausted the carbon dioxide levels and were starving. This instigated the design we know as leaves. Leaves created more surface area for plants to get their “breath” with built-in breathing portals or stomata that take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis within the plant. Over millions of years a diverse range of leaves continue to evolve and are considered the light-harvesting organs of vascular plants. The individual leaves in this concave window create a lotus-like blossom below.
4. Grasses: 6.5 million years ago grasses appeared on Earth. To defend against the herbivore dinosaurs, they drew silica from the soil and grew microscopic silica serrated leaves. Ever cut your finger on a “blade” of grass? This is why and hence the silver luster daggers circling the
magnified peek into a cell of grass. The dinosaurs were not able to chew or digest the silica grass so the grass challenger succeeded. Early horses and cow relatives developed “nashers” that could chew and digestive systems to process the grasses. Like everything, the silica rich manure eventually finds its way to the sea creating a boom for silica diatoms. Everything is connected.
5. Cactus: The cactus can live through extreme conditions and utilize water in life-saving ways. They provide homes and nourishment for insects, the winged, 4-leggeds and 2-leggeds. Their interior structure reminds me of the micro marine diatoms and radiolarians and both have inspired architecture, art and design. This lustrous silver and gold medallion is an homage to its inner strength and design. My last visit with a beloved friend was at Joshua Tree Monument where we wandered through thriving cactus groves and weathered silver cactus remains.
6. Flowering Family: The third-eye of the shield takes us into the heart of a flower. The protruding rose colored nodules are a micro view of the papilla, a complex structure that is formed between the plasma membrane and the inside of the plant cell wall. These are from the petal of a rose. On the interior is skirt of a pink petals. Flowers are the reproductive design of the plant often assisted by pollinating friends. Powerful strategy and equally powerful aesthetically as a field, garden or bouquet can magically uplift us with their beauty and many their fragrance. Different flowers represent different qualities and are a jewel of the plant family.
7. Cones, Seeds & Sequoia: The most massive of all living organisms is the Giant Sequoia and yet its “winged seed” is approximately less than a quarter of an inch. A symbol of realizing potential, this medallion honors seed bearing plants and the giant of them all. The interior has elements of
the sequoia cone in flat copper stain with the migrating seeds in copper leaf. Incredible what can grow from a seed when nurtured be it an intention, garden or forest.
8. Moss & Spores: This mysterious package magnifies the spore capsule of the flower-less moss and plays a crucial role in establishing new populations. The capsule contains up to millions of microscopic spores, when released travel with the wind and when landing somewhere suitable, grow into a new moss plant.
9. Fragrance & Botanical oils: This microscopic dive onto surface of a lavender leaf finds us among a forest of trichomes (tiny trees-like elements) and pearls of oil glands. When touching the leaves we have actually burst the micro oil glands, so it is the oil that produces the fragrance. Fun to remember next time you take in the scent of lavender, rosemary or other aromatic botanicals.
WORK LIST AND WRITINGS
Flora Shield Trio:
Biospheres introduces the Flora series with this trio and tribute to our plant family who created our atmosphere as one of the key elements necessary for all life on Earth.
1. Life: (pedestal) ceramic, mirror, copper leaf, 3.5” x 12.5” x 13”, $18,000
(See Life Legend for detail description of entire shield.)
Life: (pedestal) ceramic, mirror, copper leaf, 3.5” x 12.5” x 13”
2. Light: (wall left) ceramic, 3” x 9.75” x 9.5”, $8,000
Light plays on the alchemy of the photosynthesis process. Powerful golden photonic beams of light from the sun penetrate the plant choreographing a chloroplast dance. The funnels or "light harvesting complexes” however take center stage. The solar rays pierce the complexes and split a water molecule into hydrogen for the plant, releasing oxygen for our atmosphere. It is a wild and electric process occurring at all times somewhere on our planet. The metallic silver membrane frames the tango performance of lustrous solar fingers and iridescent chloroplast cells.
3. Breath: (wall right) ceramic, 2.5” x 8.5” x 8.5”, $8,000
Plants developed leaves after moving from sea to land about 400 million years ago as they struggled to get enough breath in. Leaves created more surface and with it their intake thanks to the aid of microscopic portals or stomata. Inhaling the essential carbon dioxide, plants exhaled oxygen creating our atmosphere and breath. The abstraction is inspired by studies of the stomata of lavender and lilac leaves.
(Trio: $30,000)
Wildlife Shield Murmuration, Fauna series (left to right):
4. Apis Mellifera,(Honey Bee micro detail): ceramic, 24K gold leaf, 14” x 15” x 4”, $2500
5. Fritillary Butterfly, Fauna series: ceramic, 8” x 2.5”, $1800
6. Tear Drop Butterfly Fish: ceramic, 13” x 3.5”, $1800
7. Okapi (Short Neck Giraffe): ceramic, 11.5” x 2”, $500
8. Weedy Sea Dragon: ceramic, 17” x 5”, $3500
9. Puffer Fish: ceramic, 20” x 8”, $3500
10. Red-Eye Tree Frog: ceramic, 20” x 6”, $3000
11. Spotted Drum Fish: ceramic, 8” x 1.5”, $400
12. Clown Fish: ceramic, 13” x 3.5”, $1800
13. Flower Mantis: ceramic, 20” x 6”, $2500
14. Jewel Puffer Fish: ceramic, 12” x 3.5”, $1800
La Mer Trio:
15. Petit Diatom Thalassionema Diatom Stellate Colony: ceramic, 3” x 3” x 2”, $700
16. Sea Anemone: ceramic, 5” x 5” x 3”, $700
17. Beautiful Swimmer, Blue Crab Shield: ceramic, 4.25” x 8” x 9”, $3500
18. Foraminifera Star Milky Way: ceramic, 30 stars approx. 1.5” x 1.5” x 1.5” - 2” x 2” x 2”, @$75
Work on Pedestals:
La Mer, Marine Abstracts:
19. Venus Flower Basket, Marine Abstract: ceramic, 4.25” x 3.5” x 6”, $4000
Inspired by the deep sea glass sponge named for the Goddess of Love. The deep sea love story begins when the male and female shrimp larvae move into the sponge mating for life. As they grow the sponge becomes their permanent home in this symbiotic relationship. The design of the silica lace sponge is an incomparable model of engineering and strength for high rise buildings. The fiber optic-like silica threads rooting the sponge to the sea floor are alive with micro bioluminescent organisms. This light is transported through the glass lace making the sponge a beacon in the dark depths approximately 2000-3000’ in the marine Twilight Zone.
20. Diatom Dance, Marine Abstract: ceramic, 6” x 7.5” x 6”, NFS
A diatom is a one-cell organism whose structure is composed of two overlapping sections or valves. This overlapping allows for some internal expansion and is essential during the reproduction process. The frustule or shell also contains many pores that provide the diatom access to the environment, filtering and floatation. When in a colony or linked, the cells reproduce asexually expanding from the inside out. The newest cells are in the center of the colony and the process continues with each new cell smaller than the previous one. Eventually, when too small to split, they convert to sexual reproduction producing an ovum and sperm to begin the dance all over again
Tropical Sea Sponge Abstracts inspired while diving in Cayman and Cuba 2019:
21. Cayman Crush, Marine Abstract: ceramic, 5.5” x 8.25” x 6.5”, $5000
22. Swept, Marine Abstract: ceramic, 6.5” x 8.25” x 6.5”, $4000
23. Aquamarine Whisper, Marine Abstract: ceramic, 6.75” x 4” x 5”, $4000
24. Blushing, Marine Abstract: hand-built ceramic, 3.25” x 5” x 2.5”, $800
Grow Series:
25. Frustule Flower, Micro Grow series: ceramic, 4.25” x 7.25” x 6.75”, $3500
A frustule is the cell wall of a diatom composed of silica, inspiring this work. Diatoms have earned the title Lungs of the Planet providing over 25% of Earth’s oxygen. Being a ceramicist offers an intimate connection for the brick of my kiln is made from the remains of million year old diatoms from the ocean floor called diatomaceous earth. The silica structure of the diatom is the material of glazes and particulates of clay body. This single-cell marine organism not only generously provides oxygen for our planet, it makes this ceramicist’s artistic breath and process possible.
26. Total Solar Eclipse Homage, Grow series: ceramic, 7.5” x 5.5” x 7”, $3500
27. Contemplation, Grow series: ceramic, 12” x 6.5 x 12.5”, $3000
557 N 5th Street • Philadelphia, PA 19123 • 206.419.6503 • marguerita@margueritahagan.com •margueritahagan.com