I propose,

For the exhibition,

I have a proposal,

An idea of intent,

I want to preserve dandelion seed heads in glass jars, 

treating the dandelion as a symbol of a seed bomb of the city.

Playing with both the idea;

of preserving something others would rather take out with a 

quick swipe of the lawn mower

and

of containing it, treating it as a nemesis of the city,

containing it to prevent contamination.

I plan to present this in an array of glass jars

hanging from the ceiling

a garden in the sky

labeled of course,, but where the correct information should lie,

it will be replaced by whisperings of pollen  

a fever trying to escape,,

Problem
In deciding and discovering how best to proceed towards preserving 

Formaldehyde?

On the topic of preservation, an artist whom immediately springs to mind is Damien Hirst,

an artist whom both intrigues and sickens me.
Same as applies to my earlier post of Pickled and Preserved, Hirsts animal based artworks should on morals make my blood boil, his attitude towards life is foul, setting up greenhouses to gas butterflies, paying ridiculous amounts of money for someone to kill a shark, putting the whole life cycle of a fly in a box, in a gallery, inviting the viewer to watch it as it perishes.
And he does sicken me, incredibly, but I cannot help but be intrigued, perhaps even to the extent of being attracted.
But this is off topic,

 

I am looking for a way to preserve.

Damien Hirst uses formaldehyde solution.
Although I still don't understand how this enables his pieces to float?
This could be out of complete ignorance.
But as far as I can gather formaldehyde is a liquid solution.

But what am I to use?
I need some form of clear solution that preferably is denser than water, something that preferably could set? I shall try some vegetarian gelatine? Although not particularly accurate or honest,,

To Preserve

The idea I want to play with for exhibition 

is this idea of preserving the dandelion,

but how to preserve and present is the question in hand?

Do I want them free standing or preserved in something?

But besides the point 

there is also something magical in the collected seed, 

 their lightness of touch, allows an image of levitation, 

it could be the influx, the influx of plantation

(not a very good image, difficult to photograph)

Whatever decision is made, a key point must remain in the image of the preserved,

That is what we are currently striving for,,

Conclusive:: An Idea,,
An idea for the combination,
 I want these seeds heads to be preserved, a seed bomb, being contained,
almost in such a manor as the pickled and preserved images below,
but as for the labels, the labels of little mutterings of a pollen edit,,

How to preserve, is there some kind of liquid i could use to submerge them in without destroying their form?

Interaction

To bring it all together, the exhibition is looming ever closer,

Edit Update

I am currently still working on the edit of Pollen, I have complied a stricter edit, but for clarity and conclusion, I feel it needs to be off the whole book, a slow process but it is indeed almost complete.

My aim for this finished edit is still a little unknown,

I also have a growing collection of preserved dandelions
preserving the city's nemesis,
so to speak

Pollen Update
I have yet to complete the book, but I have seemingly come to the end of the relevant parts, 
From here on out, the story continues in the dream, although potentially has some of the most beautiful narrative, it is no longer the correct narrative.
So perhaps I shall stop here.

The wait is over, time to see what has been revealed. 

I have thirteen pages of pollen narrative,
ranging from densely worded to sparsely populated.
I am happy with the result of the narrative,
and the order is has chosen for itself. 

Thoughts on Exhibition

First some notes on artists whom use growth in their practice

An artist I have previously mentioned

Anna Garforth

Garforth uses moss amongst other things as an alternative process of typography.

The work above she constructed into a small derelict area that was about to be knocked down to be renovated into flats, but Garforth snuck in first to leave them a little message.

I like the use of the moss, and am intrigued as to how first she managed to construct it and secondly as to how she sourced the moss.

I was earlier intrigued by this prospect of growing my own moss, a seemingly relatively easy process, involving blending together beer and a little moss before spraying it onto the desired surface, but a lengthily one, taking up to two seasons to grow. 

Unfortunately time is currently not on my side,

Another artist of intrigue

Martin Azua

whom by leaving pots in certain areas, lets nature determine the final outcome for him.

The pots he creates are very porous white ceramic vases, therefore allowing for mosses and other organic growths to colonize upon the surface, letting natures natural patterns to take hold.

Once again absolutely beautiful results and an incredibly intriguing idea but a lengthily process.


 As for my exhibition
I want to play with the preservation of the dandelion, with the influx of an edit of Pollen.
Preserving that, that you assume to be a weed,  

One of my Dandelion Seeds Hatched

Fabulous,

But what to do with it now, 

I spoke to soon,

My seedling had a little accident, resulting, in loosing half his heart,

AND THE DEED WAS DONE

But this failure of a finale has been hair-sprayed in the hope of preservation. 

Dandelion seeds,

Dandelions and weeds,

If the city was to be taken over by plant life,

Would it be at the hand of the

Dandelion?

Weed Definition,

Verb,

 1 a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants:

Looking around Manchester and a lot of the greenery that you see, is weeds, unwanted growth that has clung on to any surface available, attempting to re-claim the land that once belonged to them.

These weeds aren't welcomed, they are associated with sites that have grown into disrepair, sites where no-one is bothered about keeping the streets clean, where there is no-one on hand to pick these unwanted outsiders. Therefor weeds are surely related to abandoned spaces, when they are allowed to take hold, making the space there own, but isn't there something romantic in that?

((Full Circle))((Explantation of Romantic Spaces to Follow))

So if the city was to become derelict and abandoned would this be what would take hold? 

Would this be what would later come to be described as romantic?

At what point does a weed stop being a weed? Who is to determine whether the plant is wanted or unwanted?

 

 

 How to grow Danelions?

Encouraging the very weed everybody curses?

I have collected some seeds,,,,

Attempt Two

Actually above title is a slight lie, this is indeed attempt three, attempt two was a re-trial of disastrous outcome, recovery is in process,,

Back on track, new methods,,

After the difficult nature of the strict instructions from design sponge that I used to create my initial kokedama moss ball [instructions see below]

http://www.designsponge.com/2011/04/diy-project-kokedama-string-garden.html

I seeked an alternative method,,

This came in the form of coming across this instructional video from Eden Gardens, an Australian based company,,

There string gardens seem to use a lot more straight forward method, merely gathering everything together and stringing it together, I am not entirely keen on the aesthetic outcome shown on the video and question slightly the lifespan this would allow the plant,,

but this is something to be played with,,.

Instead of using found moss for the outer shell, this recipe uses moist sphagnum moss, initially I doubted the appearance this would give the overall effect but in reality so far I am attracted.

The string ball is yet to be hung, images will follow and the survival rate may be questionable, updates will be forthcoming.

Quick Find

Other commercial ideas for bringing gardening into an urban environment,,

Inside//Outside

This video showcases a pre-made commercial pocket but could this be made from scratch to the same effect? Perhaps using the same material as is used as the support for hanging baskets?

I have done little research into this query but if the liner used in hanging baskets is designed to with hold the water and supports the plant then surely you could make your own to some degree.

Also what would happen if you weaved with sphagnum moss?

Give [[Ground]] to Green

I apparently always seem to be drawn back to life, life, plants and growth, nature and all its incredible wonders,,

This project seems to have taken a shape change,,

In moving to Manchester, it has been my first time to live in such a built up city. I am not a country-bumpkin, I am from a city, a city such as Cardiff, but from the suburbs, where both the city and countryside is accessible, easily, where growth and greenery are a few steps beyond my front door.

Living in the city center of Manchester is different, I have no garden to wonder out to, to grow a plant has to be done on my windowsill, under certain conditions, options are limited.

And it is that, that I want to explore, looking at what space there is to grow a garden in an urban built up environment, is there room for contemporary landscape architecture in a concrete jungle?

And what happens when nature tries to take back the city?

Feature Jeff Noon's book "pollen".

A couple of sights//sites of interest

http://www.stringgardens.com/

Moving life to the skies, growing above its natural environment, using space in a different way.

Here, above,

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Is my own attempt although not in fact hung up as off yet,,

more to follloww,,,