https://oldmooresalmanac.com/the-mysterious-and-lost-magic-mushroom-rituals-of-the-ancient-celts/
https://gclyfe.com/arts-culture/halloween-and-its-fascinating-origins-mind-blown/ It has long been theorised that magic mushrooms were used in religious ceremonies by druids since humans first inhabited Ireland. These ceremonies disappeared when the church became more influential. Now that religious influences are waning, is it time to revive this practice of acquiring insight? By Nicole Buckler There are two types of “magic mushroom” in Ireland. The first is the red topped, white-spotted stunning variety called the fly-agaric. This little guy is the one you see in children’s books, with faeries and pixies sitting all over them. The second is the liberty-cap, which actually looks like a brown little elf’s hat. FLY-AGARIC The fly-agaric appears between August and November. They grow beneath certain select trees in a symbiotic relationship. Although this mushroom is classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare. A deadly dose is estimated to be around 15 caps in total per person. A dose strong enough to give the user hallucinations has been medically documented to be less than one cap. So, these mushrooms have received an unnecessarily bad rap over the years. The danger with this little guy is that this mushroom does somewhat resemble a very poisonous mushroom called the death cap. The death cap looks the same but tends to be white rather than red. After preparing the fly-agaric for consumption, druids were said to eat it for its hallucinogenic properties. It was believed that these hallucinations conferred great knowledge and enlightenment to those who received them. The fly-agaric mushroom was a very important fungus to the druids. In fact, ancient people called it the “flesh of the gods”. It was thought to put the druids in direct communication with the universe when they ate it. Mushrooms are the above-ground “fruit” of a much larger organism that lives underground. The subterranean part can spread under huge tracts of land, and can be thousands of years old. Many of the ancients believed that because the organism is so old, it has accumulated wisdom which can be passed to humans via the fruit. Whatever your stance is on the ‘use’ of the fly-agaric mushroom, there’s no doubt it is one of nature’s most interesting and beautiful species. LIBERTY CAP The second type of magic mushroom found in Ireland is the liberty cap. These can be found all over Ireland. They can even be found in Phoenix Park in Dublin, right at the feet of the Pope’s Cross! They prefer a south-facing slope with wet soil. These mushrooms are known as a stimulant and mind-expander. People who have taken them report feeling at one with nature and the universe. Many also say that they have acquired “knowledge” from their trip. (Sheep like magic mushrooms too. Modern-day farmers from the Curragh say they like to laugh at their sheep going mental after they’ve eaten a bellyful of magic mushrooms). Throughout Irish history, liberty caps were taken by regular people. The psychedelic trip is milder than that of the fly-agaric, which was left to highly-trained druids and other masters of the mushroom. The fly-agaric was deemed too powerful for anyone who had not undertaken training at the higher levels of the mind. Druids took these mushrooms and reported back to the lay-people on the wisdoms the universe had transmitted to them while “away with the faeries.” THE FAERY CONNECTION Here’s an interesting thought for you: different hallucinogens produce different types of visions. LSD or “acid” is a synthetic chemical copy of the ergot fungus that grows on rye. People who take it are likely to report seeing paisleys in front of their eyes. It is a common hallucination when taking the psychoactive drug. And of course, when did paisleys burst into Western, mainstream fashion? In the 60s and 70s, when people were tripping on LSD like mad. Paisley art was everywhere, and some was stunningly intricate and beautiful.So as for those Irish mushrooms… The two magic mushrooms that grow here in Ireland – the liberty cap and the fly agaric – look really different to each other, but both are said to produce visions of faeries and leprechauns, plus a variety of Otherworld creatures very specifically associated with Ireland. In just about every vintage picture of faeries or elves, there is a picture of a mushroom in it. Faeries and mushrooms have been closely associated since time began in Ireland. Have you ever wondered why the two are so intertwined? Visions of faeries are so strongly associated with mushrooms that the Gaelic slang for faeries and mushrooms is the same: pookies. Let that sink in for a minute. A magic mushroom trip has always been said to make the user “go away with the faeries.” Or someone could be “off with the pixies.” And now you know why. There are many tempting clues about the usage of fly-agaric in pagan times. Psychic poets called imbas forosnai speak of eating “red flesh of a pig, dog or cat” which was likely a metaphor for the fly-agaric. It was chewed before a poet would lie in a dark room and seek inspiration. Speckled things were also considered to have certain powers.
0 Comments
After looking at the below, and going through my personal limitations such as size, cost and resources. I decided polymer is the one that I have a lot of experience with, and I can do easily at home. In an ideal circumstance I would use earth clay and glazes to get a more refined final project. But at home I think my best option is polymer. Polymer is plastic based so will cure in an oven, it will also accept acrylic paint and will accept matte and gloss glazes unlike air dry clay. http://polymerclay-jewelry.com/get-into-sculpting-what-type-of-sculpting-clay-should-you-choose/
On choosing the right material for small-scale sculptures If you want to make small (several inches to a foot in length) figures and don’t know whether to use an oil based clay (to stop it from hardening), or an air drying or kiln type clay, here are some expert-sourced suggestions: Oil based clays are generally easier to work with. Wax is comparatively slow to work, and takes experience to use properly. Depending on the size of the project, water-based clays can be messy and dry out or crack too soon, unless you’re using the water based clay in bulk for, say, making a life-sized human sculpture. Water based clays are simply clay mixed with water. They are inexpensive but need to be covered when not in use or they WILL dry out. Their fast-drying properties are part of their appeal, however, as they don’t require baking to harden into a resilient state. Water based clays are easily removed from a mold with a water sprayer, but the clay is prone to sticking or breaking apart if it gets too wet. These clays cannot be used with plastics, epoxies or polymers. Advantages to water based clay: Water based clay is cheap compared to oil-based options, it works nicely for small projects, it is smoothed out easily, and, if kept sealed in plastic, it will stay moist and workable for months (check it occasionally and spritz a bit of water into the bag once a month or so). If you choose to use water based clay and store it for months at a time between work sessions, expect the clay to shrink about 1/20th or so of its original size per several months as it will slowly lose moisture. If you were to use an oil based, sulphur-free clay (oil based clays are sulphur free), you could make a silicone rubber mold with it, and then reuse the same clay. (Modelling clay can be melted and poured into an alginate mold.) Water based clay can be molded in the same way as plasticene, but the difference is that plasticene can’t be saved (i.e., hardened) once you’ve achieved your desired model. Water based clays CAN be kiln-fired at any time once dry to maintain their shape. After having worked with both, plasticene falters in comparison unless the project is a very small thin model too difficult to keep moist for weeks. Modelling Clay Comparisons, Suggestions and Summary Advantages to oil based clay: Best for beginners to start out using an oil based modelling clay as this modelling compound is non-crumbling and it doesn’t cling to skin or room surfaces. Oil based clay does not dry out, so you can take your time modelling with it, then simply cover it with a plastic bag or other protective covering when you want to take a break. For warm weather: Use Van Aken sculpture grey modelling clay in warm weather. In the colder weather: use Plast-econ modelling clay (sells for around $1.95 per pound + shipping). Brands: Disadvantages to oil based clay: Usually costs more. Clay that never hardens: “I work with both plasilina and wet clay, and I would recommend the plastelina. I use Le Beau Touche from Chavant because it is sulphur-free, so it is easier to make a mold. Because it never hardens, you can work on your sculpture as long as you want to without worrying about it hardening on you.” Sculpting Clay Tools: For oil-based clay, try working with metal tools warmed up over a small oil lamp filled with paraffin lamp oil. THE BEAUTY AND THE MORBID, FUNGI AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION IN CONTEMPORARY ART : RESPONSE4/26/2020 https://fungalbiolbiotech.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40694-016-0028-4
I think this article is really interesting, it raises some really though provoking points about the parallels in the creative and scientific process. The relationship is not immediate but inconspicuous. Mycology can bring about emotions just as art can, and artists who are looking into mushrooms as a medium or subject matter have the power to do both with both. They represent a lot culturally and historically, and are scientifically very interesting so they offer plenty to an artist. They can be viewed at beautiful for their complexity and scientific awe, as fertile and resilient life, or on the pallet for their unique tastes and textures. They can also be linked to dirt and death, to decomposition and rot or disease. This is a broad spectrum of emotions and associations to explore. Physically, there are examples of mushrooms and algae being used for pigments and media so they can be actually incorporated and used in art, this presents a whole other series of opportunities to further the sustainability movement. Alongside algae’s phenomenal ability to eat, even plastics have proved to fall prey to certain strains of algae. Open minds are key to the communication between the arts and science, a proactive exchange is necessary to bring about the best in booth sides. From medicinal uses, stems psychoactive usage which has been a prominent inspiration in many artists’ styles and in many eras of history, blossoming in creativity and firing up creative neurons in the brain. “Max Planck once said Where does the creativity for innovate experiments come from? If not from the power of imagination?” Thankfully due to scientific and technological advances, more artist are able to harness the power of science to create new techniques and methods that will hopefully be able to make a real difference in the eco-aware innovations currently happening in the art world. https://virtualshoemuseum.com/iris-schieferstein/
"The German artist Iris Schieferstein, has worked with dead animals as raw material for her pieces of art for many years. She joins the fragments together to new creatures and thus gives a new face to death. No matter, if her arrangements follow paintings of the great masters of art or if the joined objects turn out to be whole words – her work always gives evidence of aesthetic intuition and her inclination to subtle entertainment. The earlier you die – the longer you are dead." As my chosen subject, fungi has strong death and rot connotations. I wanted to look at some artists that sucessfully spin these morbid subjects into art that can be admired despite its morbidity. Although I would not use dead animals in the project, maybe I can try and incorporate actual plant matter? I would have to research what health risks that would pose and what health and safety measures I would need to take. Makeup and body art experiment inspired by fungi, I used brushed out wool to create the head and face pieces and pearl beads to make the spore droplets. I also used feathers and paper to make the piece around the eye. I liked this experiment but I was not inspired enough by the result to continue with it. I was also struggling photographing the results by myself and maybe if I had help to photograph them in interesting locations I would have liked them more, but an interesting experiment nonetheless. Alongside exploring my personal relations to the storyline, Dave McKean has curated these fantastically bizarre creatures, from bird-men to child cats and giant horrific blobs of human-esque cackles. I love the bizzare nature of the characters, and the disturbing whimsy they carry.
I have huge admiration for puppetry, and many fond memories of it. As my work in the past like Guarded heart has had a very puppet-y feel to it i decided to research it for this project. I think I'd like to do sculpture for this project as its my strongest suit, so I know this will be relevant to my style of sculpture.
The diversity in the expressions is phenomenal, meant to show stories and entertain, being able to capture emotion was incredibly important. After watching MirrorMask, I started exploring the aesthetics of the circus as a busy hustling underground network of entertainers. This led me back to puppetry as it was used to animate the film. It is also symbolic, with the puppeteer and string a metaphorical parallel to manipulation and control. I find the mock life interesting, the detail to capture expression and emulate living beings so well. I did a visual response to this in a drawing, in 2007 my drunk neighbour stumbled out into the road only to be ushered back inside by his family. I always thought he look like a puppet, in a large loose Santa costume, with limited cohesive mobility. Swinging his arm to and fro to take a drag from his cigarette. |
Author24 year old student from Nottingham, United Kingdom. Archives
June 2020
Categories |