Björk Stage Project: Mushroom Gills

The Idea

Brooks Wenzel, dear friend, artist, and current stage crew member for Björk, hired me as a sculptor for the clay components of his proposed project: designing part of the musician’s mushroom stage sets for the US tour in the beginning of 2022. They were based on her UK set, but able to travel/tour and assemble more efficiently.

Process

As the hired clay muscle, I sculpted the mushroom gills in accordance to their corresponding positions for under the stages and we then made reverse molds of the forms using layers of latex and cheesecloth. The final product would be flocked for light manipulation and attached in large segments to the stage.

OH headquarters, aka Brooks’ basement. One of our 2 work stations.

WV headquarters, in the basement of the amazing Gene and Maura Kistler.

Up close gills on stage post San Francisco show in January ‘22.

Gills lit and in use on the US Björk tour

Finished Product

We done did it.