Hymenophore

Installation view, Gallery of Contemporary Art project space, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, May 2022

The title of the exhibition, “Hymenophore” refers to the term in evolutionary biology that describes the reproductive structure of Funga. In a 3D rendered animation, titled “Lamellae,” there is a blossoming of a Pleurotus ostreatus (common name: blue oyster mushroom). She hovers, spins, and grows adjacent to a series of paintings. Lamellae, the reproductive organ, are labial in form. The paintings are icy blue, the color of the pandemic, landscapes of polystyrene, an endless expanse of hyperobjects. Jessica is offering a proposal of how to evolve and evokes the sacred feminine as a guide to navigate through our climate crisis.