Mycography and Biodesign Pedagogy: Concepts and Methods for Creating Living Posters

Abstract

This paper presents the outcomes from one design studio taught in the School of Industrial and Graphic Design at Auburn University. Students were introduced to the field of biodesign, a relatively nascent field that combines design and biology. Biodesign is a broad domain with practices that range from discursive to utilitarian and whose outcomes may be material or conceptual. This studio focused on the creation of a biodesign project that was material and discursive. In other words, students used living microorganisms to create images that promote reflection and discussion. Students began by learning an experimental image-making process, referred to here as mycography, which uses microorganisms from the fungi kingdom in lieu of ink or photo paper. Similar to darkroom photography, mycography may use light to create an image from a negative. Next, students were asked to create living images that expressed their relationship with the natural environment. Their design organism was Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is more commonly known as brewer's yeast or baker's yeast. After numerous initial tests, they created living posters that were 30 cm x 40 cm (12 in x 16 in). Unsurprisingly, in a time of ubiquitous ecological disruption, their posters expressed concern about our changing climate. The living posters that students created acted as a call-to-action and conveyed a sense of urgency about environmental degradation. At the same time, using a living organism as a design material provided a vital learning analogy for students: the images created with brewer's yeast resisted complete control and mimicked our relationship with the natural world. Through hands-on making with another organism, students gained a greater sense of agency while also recognizing the impact that design can have on other organisms.