Parasitic, Mutualistic, Commensalistic Relationships

Electric Works is pleased to present “Parasitic, Mutualistic, Commensalistic Relationships" small works by Amber Stucke. The works in this show are an extension of Stucke's long term project on symbiosis. This project explores and investigates the idea of symbiosis through an intensive drawing relationship interconnecting evolutionary biology, consciousness, philosophy of mind, and the imagination.  By combining experiential and rational knowledge systems together within drawings, Stucke appropriates from visual taxonomies to create conversations between local knowledge systems of the human body and scientific classification structures. The drawings specifically look at parasitic, mutualistic, and commensalistic relationships of fungus, algae, lichen and moss under the biological study of symbiosis. 

Stucke received her MFA from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and has also had additional studies at Goldsmith’s College in London and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  Primarily working within the mediums of painting and drawing, Stucke connects the strong detail in her work to ideas within artistic research as-well-as to dialogues between art and science.  Her work is project based and involves interdisciplinary investigations within artistic production.  Her thesis titled Embodying Symbiosis: A Philosophy of Mind in Drawing is published in an international academic journal called Consciousness, Literature and the Arts, which is based in the UK.