Introduction

Friday 14th February until Sunday 23rd February 2014

An exhibition of Mixed Media Textiles and Print entitled:

"The Movement and Action of Worms"

By Helen Birmingham

at The Studio Gallery

5 Belle Vue Parade

Scarborough

YO11 1SU

 www.thestudiogalleryscarborough.co.uk

www.helenbirmingham.com

This blog is specifically to record the progress of work for my new exhibition. 

Here is the background information and inspiration for the work.

The Wormstone at Darwin's home in Kent, is an instrument designed by Horace Darwin, to record the movement and action of worms. It is one of the world's oldest ongoing scientific experiments, measuring how bioturbation gradually causes objects on the surface to be buried. The results of these experiments formed the basis of Darwin's last published book:
Darwin, C. R. 1881. MOULD & WORMS: The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms, with observations on their habits.

One of my most prized possessions is an original copy of this book.

Charles Darwin was the first person to realise the importance of bioturbation (although the word was yet to be coined), and this book on earthworm bioturbation continues to inspire studies in the fields of ecology, hydrology, geomorphology, and archaeology. Not bad for something that Darwin himself described, with typical modesty, as a 'curious little book of small importance'.

One of the mixed media works from my "Voyage of Discovery" 2009 Exhibition was called "Wormstone". It was a series of altered photographs of  Darwin's stone. In places in the book Darwin talks playfully and even affectionately about the worms, and I had fun imagining that the worms had been playing a game with Darwin, and purposefully not going underneath his stone,and so spoiling his scientific results." Wormstone" was the result of these imaginings.

 

 Detail (altered photograph)

I will be exhibiting a series of 30 mixed media textile pieces and prints which visually represent some of the experiments and observations which Darwin made on the action and movement of worms. They will relate to the titles of paragraphs in Darwin's book. All 30 pieces will be individual works, but will make up a whole story.

Movement and Action of Worms

1. Sites inhabited

2. Nocturnal

3. Wander from the burrow

4.Structure 

5. Senses

6. Mental qualities

7. Food and digestion

8. Calciferous glands

9. Manner of prehension

10. Protection of burrows

11. Intelligence 

12. Excavation of the burrow 

13. Earth swallowed as food

14. Depth of the burrow

15. Construction of the burrow

16. Erection of their castings

17. The collapse of old burrows

18. Their wide distribution

19. Brought up by worms

20. Undermined by worms

21. Number of worms

22. Annually accumulated

23. Burial of the remains

24. Disintegration and denudation

25. Aided by worms

26. Ledges on hillsides

27. Castings blown to leeward

28. Ancient mounds

29. Anciently ploughed fields

30. Mould over the chalk

Whilst in London, cat and dog sitting, I hope to be researching and sketching for this new project.

(As well as undertaking a reconnaissance mission for the 'screen' project, which I am undertaking with artist/blacksmith David Stephenson.)

Hopefully - more information on that available shortly!