Nannan Li
Assignment 12.1 Project 2: Phenomenon Magazine, Part 8
The Magic Show by Artist Decay
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CONTENTS 06 What is Decay ? 08 Nature’s Unsung Heroes of Recycling 10 Decay in Plants The Rot Set 12 Woody Material — 14 Decay in the Animal Kingdom 18 Decomposition and Decay Feeds New Growth 22 The Beauti of Decay 24 Post-Apocalyptic Architecture
Photo by Claus Christoffersen
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n our modern-day human culture, decomposition wand decay have often come to be viewed quite negatively, with the former mainly associated with things that are rotten, have a bad smell and are generally symptomatic of death, while the latter is similarly viewed as very undesirable, whether it be in terms of urban decay, or, on a much more personal level, tooth decay. However, they are vital processes in nature, playing an essential role in the breakdown of organic matter, recycling it and making it available again for new organisms to utilise. Decomposition and decay are the yin to the yang of growth, and together they form two halves of the whole that is the closed-loop cycle of natural ecosystems. Everything dies, and without the processes of decomposition and decay the world would quickly become not only overflowing with the remains of dead plants and animals, but also would experience a decline in new growth, due to a shortage of nutrients, that would be locked up and unavailable in the dead forms.
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D
ecomposition is the first stage in the recycling of nutrients that have been used by an organism (plant or animal) to build its body, and are surrendered back to the ecosystem upon its death. It is the process whereby the dead tissues break down and are converted into simpler organic forms that are the food source for many of the species at the base of ecosystems. The species that carry out the process of decomposition, and feed on the ‘waste’ products produced by it, are known as detritivores, which means literally ‘feeders on dead or decaying organic matter’. Many of these decomposer species function in tandem or parallel with one another, with each being responsible for a specific stage or aspect of the decomposition process, and collectively they are known as the detritivore community.
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What is Decay
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wide range of organisms takes part in the decomposition process, with most of them being relatively inconspicuous, unglamorous and, from a conventional human perspective, even undesirable. The detritivore community includes beetles and their larvae, flies and maggots (the larvae of flies), woodlice, fungi, slime moulds, bacteria, slugs and snails, millipedes, springtails and earthworms. Most of them work out of sight, with their handiwork not immediately apparent, but they are the forest’s unsung heroes of recycling. Almost all of them are small in size, and their function happens gradually in most cases, over time periods measured in months or years, but cumulatively they convert all dead plant and animal material into forms that are useable for growth either by themselves or other organisms.
Nature’s unsung h heroes of recycling
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he-
Photo by Erdélyi Árpád
“From dead plant matter to nematodes to bacteria, never underestimate the cleverness of mushrooms to find newfood.” Paul Stamets
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The primary decomposers of most
deciduous forests is over 3 tonnes
presence of air (oxygen in particu-
dead plant material are fungi.
per hectare per year. The litter is
lar). On the forest floor it is spread
Dead leaves fall from trees and
quickly invaded by the hyphae of
out both spatially and in time.
herbaceous plants collapse to the
fungi — the white thread-like fila-
When people make compost heaps
ground after they have produced
ments that are the main body of a
in their garden, they are utilising
seeds, forming a layer of litter on
fungus.The hyphae draw nourish-
the same process, which is concen-
the soil surface. The litter layer can
ment from the litter, enabling the
trated and accelerated by piling
be quite substantial in volume, with
fungi to grow and spread, while
the dead material together in a
the litter fall in a Scots pine (Pinus
breaking down the structure of
compost heap, where the heat that
sylvestris) forest estimated to be
the dead plant material. Bacteria
is generated speeds up the pro-
between 1-1.5 tonnes per hectare
also play a part in this process, as
cess of decay.
per year, while that in temperate
do various invertebrates, including slugs and snails, springtails and, as the decay becomes more advanced, earthworms. This
decomposition
process
material are called saprotrophic fungi
and
common
examples
include the horsehair parachute is
usually odourless, and is aerobic, meaning that it takes place in the
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Fungi that feed on dead plant
fungus (Marasmius androsaceus),
falling to the forest floor. Some
which can be seen growing out
plant material, such as the fibrous
of dead grass stems, leaves or
dead fronds of bracken (Pteridium
pine needles, and the sulphur tuft
aquilinum), takes longer, but will
fungus (Hypholoma fasciculare),
still be fully decomposed within
which fruits on logs that are at an
three years. The needles of coni-
advanced state of decomposition.
fers, such as Scots pine, are much
In a forest, the rate of decomposition depends on what the dead plant material is. Leaves of deciduous trees and the stems and foliage of non-woody plants generally break down quickly, and are usually gone within a year of
tougher and it can take up to seven years for them to be completely broken down and recycled. The rate of decay is also determined by how wet the material is—in general the wetter it is the faster it breaks down, while in dry peri-
Decay in plants
ods or dry climates, the organic matter becomes dessicated and many detritivores, such as fungi and slugs and snails, are inactive so the decomposition process becomes prolonged.
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n contrast to the softer tissues of herbaceous plants, the fibres of trees and other woody plants are much tougher and take a longer time to break down. Fungi are still mostly the first agents of decay, and there are many species that grow in dead wood. The common names of species such as the wet rot fungus (Coniophora puteana) and the jelly rot fungus (Phlebia tremellosa) indicate their role in helping wood to decompose. The growth of the fungal hyphae within the wood helps other detritivores, such as bacteria and beetle larvae, to gain access. The fungi feed on the cellulose and lignin, converting those into their softer tissues, which in turn begin to decompose when the fungal fruiting bodies die. Many species of slime mould also grow inside dead logs and play a role in decomposition. Like fungi, they are generally only visible when they are ready to reproduce and their fruiting bodies, or sporocarps, appear.
Some decomposers are highly-specialised. For example, the earpick fungus (Auriscalpium vulgare) grows out of decaying Scots pine cones that are partially or wholly buried in the soil, while another fungus (Cyclaneusma minus) grows on the fallen needles of Scots pine. As the wood becomes more penetrated and open, through, for example, the galleries produced by beetle larvae, it becomes wetter and this facilitates the next phase of decomposition. Invertebrates such as woodlice and millipedes feed on the decaying wood, and predators and parasites, such as robber flies and ichneumon wasps, will also arrive, to feed on beetles and other invertebrates. For trees such as birch (Betula spp.), the wood becomes very wet and rotten, and falls apart quite easily after a few years. Earthworms and springtails are often seen at this stage, when the decomposing wood will soon become assimilated into the soil, and they can reach high densities — the biomass of earthworms in broadleaved forests in Europe has been estimated at up to one tonne per hectare. The wood of Scots pine, however, has a high resin content, which makes it much more resistant to decay, and it can take several decades for a pine log to decompose fully.
Woody material — the rot sets in
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n sharp contrast to decomposition in plants, fungi play a very limited role in the breakdown of dead animal matter, where the vast majority of the decomposers are other animals and bacteria. Animal decomposers include scavengers and carrion feeders, which consume parts of an animal carcass, using it as an energy source and converting it into the tissues of their own bodies and the dung they excrete. These range from foxes and badgers to birds such as the hooded crow (Corvus corone cornix), and also include invertebrates such as carrion flies, blow-flies and various beetles. The dung they produce in turn forms the food source for other organisms, particularly dung beetles and burying beetles, while some fungi, including the dung roundhead (Stropharia semiglobata) grow out of dung, helping to break it down. For animal carcasses that are not immediately consumed by large scavengers, ecologists identify five stages in the decomposition process. The first of these is when the corpse is still fresh, and is typified by the arrival of carrion flies and blow-flies, which lay their eggs around the openings, such as the nose, mouth and ears, that allow easy access to the inside of the carcass. In the second stage, the action of bacteria inside the corpse causes putrefaction and swelling of the carcass due to the production of gases. This is anaerobic decomposition, or decay in the absence of air, and it is characterised by its bad smell, in contrast to the odourless nature of aerobic decomposition. The next stage commences when the skin of the corpse is ruptured, which allows the gases to escape and the carcass to deflate again. In this decay stage, the larvae or mag-
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gots of flies proliferate in large numbers and consume much of the soft tissues. Predators such as wasps, ants and beetles also arrive, to feed on the fly larvae. In the following stage, only cartilage, skin and bones remain, and different groups of flies and beetles, plus their respective parasites, take over the decomposition process. Finally, only bones and hair remain, and they can persist for several years or more, although even they are consumed—for example, mice and voles will gnaw on old bones, to obtain the calcium they contain. The progression through these stages depends to some extent on the time of year when death occurs, but typically it will take several months from beginning to end. One example of a fungus that plays a role in the decomposition of animal matter is the scarlet caterpillar club fungus (Cordyceps militaris). This species grows out of the living pupa or larva of a moth or butterfly, converting the body of its insect host as it dies into the hyphal structure of its fruiting body, which is club-shaped and orange in colour, with a pimply surface.
Photo by Charlotte Robin
Decay in the animal kingdom
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“The human body is constantly undergoing a process of decay and of reconstruction. First builded into the astral form in the womb of the mother, it is built up continually by the insetting of fresh materials. With every moment tiny molecules are passing away from it; with every moment tiny molecules are streaming into it.” Annie Besant
“One of the most striking signs of the decay of art is when we see its separate forms jumbled together. ” Jean-Luc Godard
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“There is no such thing as death. In nature nothing dies. From each sad remnant of decay, some forms of life arise so shall his life be taken away before he knoweth that he hath it. � Charles Mackay
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Decomposition and Decay Feeds New Growth 18
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hile decomposition and decay may appear to be unpleasant processes from our human perspective, they are vital in terms of the functioning of ecosystems. Just like compost in a garden, they provide essential nutrients for the growth of new organisms, and are a key aspect of the cyclical processes that maintain all life on Earth. A renewed appreciation of their importance will help humans to protect and sustain ecosystems, and may even provide inspiration for the establishment of an alternative to the unsustainable unlimited growth model that drives human culture today.
Decomposition and Decay By Alan Watson Featherstone http://treesforlife.org.uk/forest/forest-ecology/decomposition-and-decay/
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Decay ≠Death
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Decay = Reborn Be Positive 21
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handran Gallery is pleased to present The Beauty of Decay by London based artist Rebecca Louise Law. While the artist made headline news last year for her ambitious installation in Time Square’s Viacom building, Th e Beauty of Decay is her debut solo gallery exhibition in the United States. The show centers on a sitespecific installation of 8,000 flowers which will gradually change and preserve throughout the duration of the exhibition. Rebecca Louise Law has gained international attention for her colossal installations created with natural materials, namely flora. The power of her installations lie within their continual transmutation as the live flowers exquisitely move through the natural stages of decay wilting, fading and drying. By taking viewers on this journey of deterioration, Law extends the perceived limitation of the beauty of flowers, and imbues them with artistic value elevating them from merely decorative items.
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“My art is about the human interaction with nature, I take flowers, control their environment, change their proerties and allow the viewer to reevaluate their worth.” Rebecca Louis law
The Beauty of Decay Chandran Gallery The Beauty of Decay https://www.artsy.net/show/chandran-gallery-the-beauty-of-decay
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Post-Apocalyptic Architecture
The Beauty of Decay: These Stunning Dioramas Depict Perfect Post-Apocalyptic Architecture by Pat Finn https://www.curbed.com/2016/6/24/12013140/nix-gerber-the-city-apocalyptic-architecture-abandoned-spaces https://architizer.com/blog/the-beauty-of-decay-nix-and-gerber/
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hat would happen to a city’s spaces after all its inhabitants are gone? Such is the inspiration for artist duo Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber, creators of more than two-dozen miniature dioramas depicting the abandoned interiors of a post-apocalyptic city. Nix began the series in 1999, as a way to explore “the way that buildings age and crumble and nature takes back some of the spaces.” Nix sketches out the main concept and larger structures of each model, and Gerber fleshes it out by hand-making miniature props. After spending seven to fifteen months constructing a scene, Nix — who identifies as a photographer and not a sculptor — will photograph it and then throw the model away. They’re created an abandoned church, library, and museum, but the most compelling creations are mundane spaces gone to seed — a Chinese takeout place, a laundromat, a subway car filled with sand. The miniature scenes are both somehow chilling and thrilling, daring the viewer to see the world from a new perspective. People never tire of imagining the apocalypse. Whether in disaster films or speculative books, there is something darkly alluring about the idea of a world without
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people. Now, two artists have taken up the apocalyptic mantle in a new medium: the humble diorama. In a series titled “The City,” Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber modeled an abandoned urban landscape that nature has begun to reclaim. The result may be bleak, but it’s also inarguably compelling.
The scenes are highly reminiscent of the popular yet controversial photographic genre known as “ruin porn.” This trend has an older provenance than some might imagine. In the 18th century, members of the burgeoning Romantic movement in the arts were fascinated by medieval ruins, which for them were artifacts of a more vibrant era, one that had not yet been disenchanted by modernity. Somewhat later, Gothic writers drew on ruins as symbols of death’s inevitability. Nix + Gerber draw on this latter tradition, reminding us with their work that our civilization, too, will some day pass away. Realistic as the dioramas are, they do not reflect real places. “I’m really not much of a traveler, except in my head. I am by nature a homebody,” explained Nix. “Rather than go out into the world in search of these scenes, I choose to stay in my apartment and build my own worlds.” The fact that the dioramas in “The City” represent imagined spaces rather than real ones allows them to stand in for many places at once.
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“I am not the type of photographer that is going to go out and find things to photograph, I’m going to create things to photograph” Lori Nix
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“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. ” Seneca
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Nannan Li @ 2017
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