This body of work is part of an ongoing exploration of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland's dynamic geological and ecological landscape. Each print in this series has been developed from a unique point cloud scan of a volcanic rock-based lichen colony found throughout the city — combining digital photography with geo-spatial data to generate a three-dimensional, mathematical representation of a physical entity in space and time. 

 

Known as a pioneer species — the first to colonise a newly disturbed or created environment — lichen play a key role in the development of complex ecosystems. Through their growth, decay and erosion of volcanic rock, they are able to create nutrient-rich microclimates in which plant-life can establish itself, terraforming otherwise barren or uninhabitable environments.

 

These point clouds and their resulting prints document lichen formations and the rock fragments on which they are found — ranging in size from that of an apple to several metres in length, within both man-made and naturally occurring structures. Though displaced from their original geological contexts by industrial activity, these rocks retain the distinct characteristics of the geological bodies to which they once belonged, and have become new ecological habitats for other beings themselves. Together, these rocks embody a material interconnectedness that links them to broader geological systems and volcanic networks that flow throughout Auckland, and to a wider degree, throughout Aotearoa and the world.
 

By mapping and documenting these rocks within the city’s present-day landscape, the work reflects on the ongoing impact of industrial and organic activity within the landscape, particularly regarding that of abiotic entities —  traditionally regarded in Western thought as non-living. In exploring the individuality and interconnectedness inherent within and among these geological forms, the series invites reflection on the relationships between ourselves, our environments and their history, and the attitudes that shape contemporary views towards the natural world around us.