toadstools

VIS209H1 : contemporary printing

john h. daniels faculty of architecture, landscape, and design

university of toronto

winter 2023

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a two-colour risograph print of mushrooms and toadstools that experiments with the capabilities of riso printing

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the toadstool is imbued with whimsy and magic yet there is a darkness beneath their flesh.

sprouting up in rings that draw fairies and faes.

just like the mischievous pranksters they attract; toadstools are always up for playing tricks.

they dance and frolic across the forest floor inviting unsuspecting foragers for a little nibble.

to the untrained eye, the toadstools mask themselves as their harmless counterparts.

their rounded caps with iconic white spots look like something out of a fairy tale,

appealing to the inner child longing for fantastical ideas and a suspension of disbelief.

the toadstools sparkle and glisten from the morning dew looking all shiny and new.

whilst appearing lighthearted and playful, toadstools are more than what meets the eye.

close exposure to its spores can have varying effects: nausea, hallucinations, seeing patterns of various mushroom species and sparkles, and in extreme cases: death.