Ella Doolan- BA (Hons) Fine Art
Mycelia Unearthed
Through meticulous stalking of my local landscapes, I forage my subject matter by capturing the fungi and mushrooms growing in plain sight. A fully bloomed mushroom spends most of its life underground as mycelia, expansive and unseen yet ever growing and vital to the production of the flowering body. My painting process reflects this natural order, with a large portion of my process going unseen, and giving way to this singular colourful form which bursts through the foliage. My paintings invite audiences consider the hidden methods behind my work, the many phases which it takes on and evolves like the natural cycle of our local landscapes. Each mark and smudge is fundamental to the growth of my work whether it has been removed or accentuated.
Emii Alrai’s text ‘Building a body’ is reflected heavily through my paintings as she breathes life into the the concept of creating a world within a world. Like a spider builds its web, I build my frames and paint my mushrooms and it is all my own creation.The force that drives my passion to paint is giving the insignificant significance; I am sharing in its journey of growth and experiencing it myself through my painting process. The mundane is exciting to me and inspires me to produce paintings because it becomes completely my own, almost like a maternal relationship. Through mimetically painting the blooming fungus, which is referred to as ‘Flesh’ and naturally forms yonic textures and shapes, I am confronting my audiences with the natural and raw beauty of mother nature. The conscious choice of crafting smaller scale pieces encourages my audience into an intimate one on one experience with my paintings to reinstate the instinctive connections we have with outt landscapes.
