Mushroom Print

One of Lois Long’s lithographs for the collaborative work, Mushroom Book, she and John Cage created in 1972. It’s on display at the Horticultural Society of NY until Thursday. Cage was instrumental in re-starting the modern incarnation of New York Mycological Society.

I was at “The Hort” to hear a lecture on using mushrooms for dyes for “protein fibers” (wool, silk). I had no idea. Many of the colors were quite earthy, as you might expect, but others were surprisingly not. Most of the mushrooms on display were dried, but there was one fresh fungus:Like a dark chocolate jello shot, Sarcosoma globosum.