Tropisms, 2021
Artists: Kimberly Varnadoe
About the Artwork: Tropism is the involuntary orientation that involves turning or curving by movement or by differential growth as a positive or negative response to a source of stimulation. In hydrotropism, a plant's roots grow in the direction of increasing moisture, hoping to obtain water. In phototropism, a plant moves toward light, usually the sun. In thigmotropism, the organism moves in response to being touched. This image illustrates these tropisms as well as geotropism, gravitropism, and heliotropism. When microbiologists talk about tropism, they're often referring to the way a virus will seek out a particular type of cell to infect. And when intellectuals use the word, they usually mean a tendency shown by a person or group which they themselves might not even be aware of.
Media: Cyanotype, relief printing, ink, stamped lettering
Dimensions: 19” wide by 15” tall
Framed: Yes
