Maria Markham

Cosmic Pond, 2024. Moss, video (Images and video and ESA/Hubble). Dimensions variable (approximately 55 in (width) x 45 in (length) x 8 in (height)). 

Cosmic Pond is an unsettling of the norms of earth and cosmos. Moss creates a bed for the cosmos which is represented by a cosmic pool generated from video and images taken by the Hubble Telescope. The cosmic points us to the planetary reminding us of our place within a universe much greater than ourselves. In contrast, moss illustrates the intelligence and intricacies of the natural world reminding us of the importance of our interconnectedness with the beyond human. This installation of the macro contrasted with the micro suggests essential frames for the viewer to consider our world and its vital elements.

The moss in this work contrasts with the cosmos—microspace to macrospace. Humans live somewhere in the middle. We are all creatures of space. 99.99% of our human bodies are space. Moss and other plants and animals follow similarly. This work reminds us of space from the minute world of moss and its microcosm to the vastness of the cosmos. These micro- and macro- spaces connect everything to everything else. This installation of the macro contrasted with the micro suggests essential frames for the viewer from which to consider our world and its vital elements.