life bricks. posting from sunny bahama
I can’t figure out how to upload my images. I’ve been trying for 3days and it’d driving me up the wall.So this is my text… can somone tell me how to upload these things? it just says crunching, or does nothing and I’ve already made my images super small….
Initially, I was interested in how biological life re-inhabits and reclaims man made structures. I began by investigating weeds, mosses and other small rooted plants and how these grow between the cracks of pavements and walls- eventually carpeting the nooks of our build landscape. I wanted to create a relationship with a wall and the process it takes to construct a space.
I began to explore the labor it takes to create small structures with “invaders” or biological life in mind. I researched moss paint, and how moss is applied to objects in decorative DIY projects. At this point I realized my project was slowly moving out of the realm of precious art objects and into a temporal relationship between construction and environment. I wanted to explore how man-made structures can be both functional and invested in the wellbeing of the life that reclaims it.
On web forums and DIY blog spaces, hobbyists and homemakers discussed a cement based materials which can be molded both indoors and outdoors to grow plants on. I began researching a material which was frequently referred to as “turfa” or “hyperturfa”.
Hyperturfa BRICKS
Ingredients:
1 part Vermiculite
1 part Peat Moss
1+ part Cement (sand topping)
3 cups Buttermilk
Water (as needed)
Method:
Coat mold in mold release agent. Mix vermiculite, peat moss, and cement in a container until even and blended together. Add the buttermilk and mix. Add water as needed to bring to the mixture to a thick pasty consistency without over watering. Poor into a mold and allow to dry for 3-5 days.
De-mold and rotate often while curing.
During my first presentation on this project Dan suggested “impregnating” the bricks with buttermilk. I had presented on “moss paint” and how this can be made with buttermilk and then sprayed with water, vinegar and honey to stimulate the moss growth. The suggestion of substituting buttermilk instead of water in the cement mix was the key moment which motivated me to continue the project. Before the hyperturfa mix reeked like kitty litter, yet somehow adding buttermilk (3/4 cups plain yogurt to ¼ cups whole milk) eliminated the smell.
In total I attempted 5 different molds. I attempted to vacuum- form a brick which I had shaved down to mold released. Vacuum- form molds are quick to make and inexpensive. However the vacuum- former at MICA was not as large as what I have worked with in the past and the plastic used is too ridged to remold a deep object. I had to abandon this mold.
After this I set up 4 bricks with a space between them the length and width of a brick and caste my first hyperturfa brick. This method was quick and simple; I worked on the ground covered with a garbage bag. However, a full sized brick took about 3 cups of each part of the mix recipe plus about 5 days to dry.
I abandoned this idea and decided to make my own mold. Using found wood I made a highly complex mold with 2 voids. It was really blocky and deep. Here I learned the hyperturfa does not respond to most standard mold releases and I broke the brick during de-molding. As I started understanding the hyperturfa I began negotiating the shape and depth of the brick. I attempted a long thing brick but the edges of the voids were too thin and again were complicated to de-mold. Eventually I settled on a simple mold, with two L shaped wood squares locking together to make a 4” x 4” x 4” brick. I made small “male” tapered rectangles with were the voids at the top and bottom of the brick during casting.
In total I made 13 blocks which took about 2 weeks to fully cure. These were coated with the “moss paint”.
During the 2nd week of October I had visited a few nurseries and they suggested ferns with shallow roots, Irish and Scottish moss or shady conditions grass seed. I settled on the ferns and mosses, which become greened the less sunlight they receive. I lived with these mosses indoors, watering them often, noting how they responded to the environment I lived in. When the bricks were cured and stacked I transplanted some of the mosses and ferns to the void. I then made the 15” high wall into a coffee table by adding a wooden board at the top with a side the height of the brick wall.
MOSS PAINT
Ingredients:
Clump of moss (with dirt removed)
I cup buttermilk
or 1 can beer + 2tsp sugar
or 1 cup plain yogurt
Method:
Add 1 part moss to 4 parts liquid in a blender. Blend or mash to mix the moss into a soupy consistency. With a brush, spread mixture over surface or object.
Can take up to 2 months to begin growing on the object.
Accelerants and care:
Add a ½ tsp white vinegar and ½ tsp honey to water. Mist moss often to maintain dampness.
The brick wall needs to be on a plastic base to stop moisture from ruining the floor. This is a bit aesthetically displeasing and as I continue this project I would like to explore a more aesthetic aspect to this functionality. Additionally, the wall has to be misted twice a day, so it is a bit labor intensive during the dry winter air. Nonetheless, I really enjoy having a bit of life in my house which is functional. The hyerturfa itself is said to last about 5 years outdoors in the elements before it fully disintegrates. I am attracted to the idea of temporary functionality, which can return to the earth once you I am done with the coffee table, or move house.
