Product designer Phil Ross demonstrates the fascinating potential of mushrooms

Date
11 March 2015

Introducing Phil Ross, an artist who’s a huge fan of mushrooms, but less in his spag bol than as a medium with which to create his artwork. For almost 20 years he has been experimenting with mushrooms for their recycling properties, growing them in new formations to make them stronger and more versatile and then using them as a material with which to build, among other things.

It might sound like an insane idea, but the film Mazda have created about his practice is a fascinating look at how his theories can come into fruition. It shows Phil putting the new materials through their paces with fire, water, mould and weight, and proves them to be unbelievably strong and even self-extinguishing when placed in a hot flame. Possible future uses include furniture, building blocks, and protective materials, and demonstrate how the agricultural waste you’d usually chuck into a compost heap has the potential to become one of the most advanced and innovative technological developments our generation has seen. It doesn’t come much more rebellious than this!

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Mazda Rebels: Built With The Cleanest Technology On Earth – Nature

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Mazda Rebels: Built With The Cleanest Technology On Earth – Nature

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Mazda Rebels: Built With The Cleanest Technology On Earth – Nature

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Mazda Rebels: Built With The Cleanest Technology On Earth – Nature

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Mazda Rebels: Built With The Cleanest Technology On Earth – Nature

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Mazda Rebels: Built With The Cleanest Technology On Earth – Nature

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Mazda Rebels: Built With The Cleanest Technology On Earth – Nature

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Mazda Rebels: Built With The Cleanest Technology On Earth – Nature

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