Art and Reindeer Moss

Softened preserved natural Norwegian reindeer moss is a fun decorative touch for potted plants, the perfect covering at the base of plants, dried arrangements, mossy tree branches, set around stones, and any other idea you may have. It comes in a wide variety of colors which makes it a must have, especially in autumn...

You can buy it in boxes or bags.

Here are some colors (among many):

It is really a lichen - a combination of a fungus and an alga, which form a symbiotic relationship and a new plant. The algae have chlorophyll and are capable of making their own food, while the fungus has spongy threads to support the plant.

There are so many things you can do with this living material....Make items from it like shown below:

Or make 'high art' from it. The artist Olafur Eliasson made an entire wall from reindeer moss and has exhibited it in museums around the world....(why didn't I think of that?)

This installation is appropriately titled Moss Wall. It is a wall covered from floor to ceiling in reindeer moss, a study in living texture. It resembles what I have done on a hidden wall in my house which was to put a carpet on a wall... I call it, Carpet Wall. (not).

This is from a flikr file

Annie Chicago, a designer, was so inspired by the Moss Wall that she made one herself for a fashion photo shoot. She writes about the moss wall she saw in the museum,

"There was an entire room devoted to a wall covered in reindeer moss in the exhibit. It smelled so lovely and over the duration of the exhibit, the moss changed in color. It was so beautiful and filled me with a deep sense of hope. The mossy space felt very magical, and I wanted to capture that feeling in my fall 2010 collection. So i set off to find some moss."

She did a great, great job - check it out: