Home
About
CV
Wet [magnified] (2023), microscopic images and timelapse photography of Sphagnum moss.
Wet[magnified] is a photographic series capturing the cellular architecture of Sphagnum moss, created as part of the long-term project Speaking Sphagnum. Using high-resolution microscopy, the images reveal the moss’s intricate anatomy—an interwoven network of small, green, photosynthesising cells (chlorophyllose) and large, transparent, water-holding cells (hyaline).
Viewed at this scale, Sphagnum’s structure resembles a living textile: the chlorophyllose cells form a fine lattice of green threads, while the hyaline cells appear as translucent reservoirs, capable of absorbing and retaining vast quantities of water. This unique capacity makes Sphagnum a keystone species in peatland formation and one of the planet’s most effective natural carbon stores.
The series was produced using white, infrared, and ultraviolet light to highlight different aspects of the moss’s morphology – shifting its appearance from the scientifically precise to the almost otherworldly. In doing so, Wet[magnified] moves between documentation and abstraction, opening space for both scientific inquiry and poetic interpretation.
By magnifying this tiny plant to an unfamiliar scale, the work invites viewers to reconsider its ecological significance and visual complexity, recognising the intricacy of a species that underpins the health of vast peatland ecosystems.
••
Special thanks to the Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, for the generous use of their microscopic facilities.