Microbes at the Museum
Art and Biodegradation
Unable to make it to the Harn Museum during its daytime hours, I decided to look at my campus and the surrounding areas as my "museum". Art and architecture can be found all over Gainesville, and right along with it...microbial colonies! Below you can find some local examples of biodegradation at work.
Name: "The Potato"
Location: Turlington Hall, Gainesville, FL
Art Medium: Stone
Species Identity: Gloeocapsa magma (grey/black hue) and Sarcinomyces or Phaeococcomyces (black fungal clusters)
Biodegradation: These fungi can eat away at the rock minerals. They can feed off the molecules building the rock and can lead to deterioration of the medium. However, in this specific piece there is no real danger to the medium being eaten away. It is not painted and therefore, passerbys may not even notice how bad the damage actually is.
Preservation: I do not really see anything being done to stop the degradation of the material. I think it gives character to this piece of art that gives our Turlington Plaza its well known identity. However, slowing the growth of the colonies that have established themselves on the Potato would be difficult because it is subjected to the bipolar weather of our beloved Gainesville. The stone has so many small divets where the microbes would never be able to successfully be removed from that it is nearly impossible to stop the growth now. With the humidity levels that the stone is put through year round, even a treatment with a biocide would not protect it forever.
Name: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Location: Downtown, Gainesville, FL
Art Medium: Bronze, granite, limestone
Species Identity: Cladosporium (outdoor type)
Biodegradation: Fungus has the ability to release chemicals that can break down rock minerals. Eventually, the mold will continue to wear away at the rocks and limestone and will deteriorate the artwork put here in the middle of the memorial garden. The art medium is being eaten away, and the colors of the microbes is taking over the color of the original rock.
Preservation: To treat this fungus, a dilute mixture of bleach and water can be used to scrub it off. However, it needs to be done continually and often to prevent damage to the art. There are clearly no efforts being put forth to help slow the progression of the fungal growth.
Name: Hippodrome Theatre
Location: Downtown, Gainesville, FL
Art Medium: Limestone, brick
Species Identity: Gloeocapsa magma
Biodegradation: You can see the microbes covering the columns and steps in the picture that I am in. The larger picture shoes the entire Hippodrome facade, but it is too far away to see the detailed closeups that I could see in person of the colonies on the ceiling and column tops. It gives the architecture a very worn down, old feeling and gives it a feeling of a lack of cleanliness. The art medium will slowly be eaten away by the microbes as they break down the rock minerals.
Preservation: These algae love to eat away at limestone. Slowly but surely damage can occur from these creatures eating away at the stone. Some homeowners with algae growth similar to that seen on the Hippodrome may suggest to just pressure wash off these microbial colonies; however, this could be damaging to the materials actual properties. Instead, a rinse of chlorine bleach or sodium hydroxide have been found useful to remove the algae- although no biocide can really stop these algae from recolonizing on the building because it is exposed to the weather and environment 24/7.