Work samples from the field of art and science collaboration

This text details four art projects that I have authored in which science was an integral component. The first of these efforts, titled the Hand Up Project: Attempting to Meet the New Needs of Natural Life Forms is dedicated to fabricating alternative forms of housing for land hermit crabs. Corpor Esurit, or We All Deserve a Break Today, the second project, concerns industrial food production and considers the plight of multiple life forms that are faced with changing food sources. The third project, Listening Stations for Birds, That Play Human Music, aims to elucidate what types of human music birds might prefer. The final piece I describe is the Lichen for Skyscrapers Project. This effort seeks to ameliorate the lack of native vegetation in global cities by culturing lichen on the sides of skyscrapers and other human-made structures. This paper also explores the challenges and rewards inherent in soliciting institutional support, dealing with the media, and presenting work in this genre of art making. Copyright AESS 2014