Staff Favorite: Greg Norstrom on Patrick Jacobs' "Fly Agaric Mushroom Cluster with Branch and Lichen"

Fly Agaric Mushroom Cluster with Branch and Lichen, 2016, styrene, acrylic, cast neoprene, paper, hair, polyurethane foam, ash, talc, starch, acrylite, vinyl film, copper, wood, steel, lighting, BK7 glass, 11 7/8 x 16 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches. Museum purchase with support from the Friends of the Collection, 2016.12

I must have walked past this piece a number of times before I even knew it existed! It is such a wonderful little secret hidden right in plain sight at the museum. It’s rare that art requires a certain level of attention simply to find it.  

Once you do know it’s there, it has a hypnotic effect. There is an amazing level of detail in the tiniest of spaces. The craftsmanship is executed so well that it’s hard to believe that it’s not a fully functioning terrarium. I’ve always been obsessed with how things are made, and this piece is no different.  

One of my favorite things about it is watching others notice it for the first time. It’s such a pleasant surprise with a wonderful little reward for taking your time at the PMA.