REACT+JAVI+MEDINA+baja

Wouldn’t it be lovely if politicians cared
about people, architects only wanted to
create affordable and environmentally
sustainable houses, tabloid papers ceased
to concern themselves with the indiscretions
of celebrities? I am the first to admit
that I live in a dream world and one of my
dreams was to create green graffiti from
moss. One day on my lunch break at work
I noticed some beautiful emerald green
moss growing around the base of a bollard
in the street and I began to wonder how
it grew and why in such random places.
A quick internet search later showed me
that horticulturist's of the past had come
up with a recipe to encourage the growth
of moss to age and add interest to their
garden designs. I wondered if this recipe
could be used as an environmentally friendly
alternative to spray paint.
Following a number of failed attempts I
found that the success of the recipe itself
can be very hit and miss and is dependent
upon choosing exactly the right location
and weather conditions; there is an
enormous variety of moss species, each
with their individual environmental needs.
Although the examples shown here are
far from what I have been able to achieve
from pure use of the recipe, I have since
received tips and advice from many people
across the world and it felt like magic when
my first design emerged in moss from the
milkshake that I had painted. It seems as
if others are now experimenting with the
idea and new versions of the recipe are
evolving and appearing across the internet
with regularity. My latest dream is that one
day I will walk down my street and discover
a beautiful moss graffiti design that a
kindred spirit has created.
RECIPE
· Several clumps of moss
· 1 pot of natural yoghurt or
12oz buttermilk (experiment to
see which works best)
· 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
· Blender
· Plastic pot (with a lid)
· Paint brush
· Spray-mister
step 1 | Moss can often be found growing in damp areas, between
the cracks in paving stones, on drainpipe covers or near to a riverbank.
Gather several clumps of moss.
step 2 | Carefully clean the moss of as much mud as possible.
step 3 | Place some of the moss, the buttermilk (or yoghurt) and
sugar into a blender and start to mix. This must be done in small
phases as the moss can easily get caught in the blades of blender.
Keep blending until you have a green milkshake with the texture
of a thick smoothie. Pour the mixture into a plastic container.
step 4 | Paint your chosen design onto a location with similar
conditions to where you originally found it (eg a brick wall or river
bank). If you have difficulty finding the right climate in which to
grow your moss, grow it indoors on top of a flattened layer of
compost in a seed tray (where it can be frequently spray-misted
with water) and transplant it outdoors as soon as it has begun to
grow.
Step 5 | Ensure that your moss design is kept moist by spraymisting
it with water regularly. After a few weeks the moss should
start to re-constitute and grow.
CULTURE JAMMING | 31