Sarah Hearn: Microbial Multiverse

February 3 – March 30 | 2024

Opening Reception February 3 | 1-4pm | Remarks at 2pm

Abstract swirling pattern in shades of purple, blue, and gold against a black background.

You may have heard of The Hidden Life of Trees (What they feel, How they communicate, Discoveries from a Secret World) by Peter Wohlleben – or you may have read in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer how trees decide the volume of nuts to produce the following season – it all happens in a world so small we never see it. We can only imagine what it must look like.

Now artist/researcher Sarah Hearn brings those hidden worlds into view with her greater-than-life-size visuals – in Microbial Multiverse at Volland.

Microbiology is the study of living things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The term microbe is decidedly human, as they are microscopic to our size. For Sarah Hearn, an artist, researcher and teacher in Norman, Oklahoma, the world of living things we cannot perceive without aids is a source of curiosity and inspiration.

A bevy of information can be gleaned from the microbes Hearn highlights. For instance, The nine large mycelium network pieces on the gallery’s north wall give a sense of the scale of the fungus. Made famous by the popular video game and HBO series The Last of Us, mycelium can spread over thousands of acres. Their real life impact is benevolent rather than maleficent, however. Microscopic hairs in mycelium attach to root structures in plants. This connection, a mutually beneficial relationship in most circumstances, aides in the transfer of nutrients and even communication between plants.

Diagram: European beech and Norway spruce trees with connected root systems. Carbon transfer via fungi is shown.

Fungi are not the only microbe Hearn explores. Microbial Multiverse also displays the fascinating qualities of single-celled organisms through Hearn’s multimedia works and watercolors. To bring these microbes to a size that can be appreciated, the multidisciplinary artist uses felt, sourced images, and authentic scientific glassware. Hearn is quick to point out these works contain her own microbiome, known in the field as normal flora, since the pieces required lots of hands on involvement. These Isolated Culture works are imagined interactions but backed by accurate science.

Hearn’s work is rooted in two separate camps: “one grounded in studies of life on planet earth, and another hovering in a hazy atmosphere of science fiction.” Taking artistic liberties at times, Hearn engages viewers into a whole new world. Hearn’s works are just the launching point for further exploration into microbiology, which has a myriad of fascinating instances, such as extremophiles.

Join us on Saturday, February 3rd for an opening reception of Microbial Multiverse from 1-4pm. Hearn will be present and will give remarks at 2pm. Free admission. Light refreshments served.

PHOTOS OF SYMPHONY OF ALL THINGS, MARCH 23, 2024

A lichen walk guided by Sarah Hearn, followed by a performance of the Forcefields, Julie Othmer and James T. Lundie

Group of people at an art exhibit. A woman speaks to them, a table with artwork in the foreground. Brick wall background.

Man smiling, taking a photo of a tree with his phone. Outdoors, overcast sky. Blue jacket, green cap.

Close-up view of various colorful lichens, including orange, yellow, and white, growing on a surface.

Person in purple jacket examining tree bark in a field.

Woman hugs a tree, looking up with a smile; wearing orange jacket, outdoors in a forest.

Textured tree bark covered in yellow-green lichen.

Two women smile, pose beside a small tree. One wears an orange jacket, the other a black coat and hat, outside.

Two people examining a forked stick outdoors, others watch in a field.

A man and girl in coat and hat, speaking to a woman in orange jacket outside.

Woman in orange jacket shows a tiny object to a girl in a red coat and orange hat, outdoors on a trail.

Woman in orange jacket holding hands with smiling child in red coat and orange hat, outdoors.

Group of people standing in a grassy field near bare trees, cloudy day.

People hike on a trail through a leafless forest. The group wears various colorful jackets.

People walking single file through a wooded area. They wear coats and backpacks. Bare trees surround them.

Child in red coat touches tree bark, exploring outdoors, wearing orange hat.

Boy in light blue shirt looks at small object through a microscope at a wooden table.

Woman singing into a microphone, arms raised, against a colorful abstract background.

Woman performs on stage with projected imagery; audience watches.

A woman singing onstage with arms outstretched; audience in foreground, background features video with figures.

Woman singing with arms raised, performing in front of a colorful projected image. Audience seated in a venue.