Carsten Höller: Mushroom

One from a series of twelve, this photogravure by Carsten Höller pictures fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) mushrooms amid undergrowth. Recognizable by the iconic red cap of its fruiting body, the fly agaric is both toxic and psychoactive, linking it to shamanistic practices. Fascinated by the species, Höller has returned to it throughout his career, drawing from the realms of biology and scientific inquiry and introducing illogic, perplexity, and play. Printed from two slightly displaced plates, the image has a subtly blurred effect, evoking the disorientation of the senses caused by ingestion of the mushroom.