Artist Diana Sherer 'domesticates' plant roots into intricate geometric forms

I was curious if anyone had directed plant roots to form a fabric or panel.  Something where the roots would grow in a form to form a flat or 3D fabric like construct.  The roots can weave themselves and potentially root graft to give significant strength, maybe.  Depending on the species used you can imagine lovely colors too.  Golden, red, white, green?  Cloth, wall paper, rugs, seamless clothing, architecture panels, doors, curtains....I don't know....what can you make?

Anyhow, a quick search got me to finding Diana Scherer's work.  Tell me what we should create.  What species or species blends could we use to create lovely fine or coarse weaves and amazing colors?  Can you do this with woody species and end up with the roots gaining the strength of woven wood?
Does this make you want to play?  Enjoy.

Neat!
I think I'd go for 3D items, give them a form like a vase to cover....
I'm trying to think of any plant with purple roots, I'm like that. Some sweet potatoes maybe, I know I've seen purple roots before, might have been on chemically damaged plants though. hmm...

I've been thinking about an alternative to soil blocking that Is similar.
My idea was to grow  plants in a cell tray until they became thoroughly root bound, terminate them, then use the root stabilized soil as a soil block.
Now I'm thinking to grow the roots into the equivalent of a hydroponics net cup, then fill this root cup with seed starting mix.

I'll have to watch the video to see what plants were used.
I was thinking willow for the rooting hormones.

I thought these were interesting and beautiful...

Diana Sherer's site
‘In my work I explore the relationship man has with his natural environment and his desire to control nature. For the past few years my fascination has mainly been focused on the dynamics of belowground plant parts. I’ve been captivated by the root system, with its hidden, underground processes; it is considered to be the brain of the plant by plant neurobiologists.



http://www.treehugger.com/culture/plant-roots-grown-into-patterns-diana-scherer.html
"Our perception of plants probably paints them as passive, slow-growing green things that aren't particularly intelligent -- at least, not like us humans. But recent research is showing how arrogantly anthrocentric that view may be, revealing that plants do indeed sense, learn, remember and react much like how a human might.

I LOVE this!! What a cool idea. So lovely.

Wow.  Do these happen at random, or there something I could do to ask my plants to make these pretty patterns?

The panels she is making are sort of like fabric - maybe a bit more rigid, but Diana is approaching things from an art perspective. I'm also wondering about the practical possibilities.
If one were to grow a dress, that one could wear, what sort of properties would you need from the fabric? drapability, softness, washability. Her fabrics seem sort of lacy - so pretty, but not utility wear! I'm thinking now simpler things like pot scourers, fly screens, filters. I just don't know enough about the properties of the roots of different plants, but yes! It rather does make me want to play!

I think I'd start with roots of plants that we know the top parts make useful fibres - actually nettle roots do also make good twine. Flax would be another plant that might have easier roots. What other plants might be possible to play with?

I have to wonder if you could use these techniques to do super fancy roots for the haute restaurant market. Super high end herbal teas?
Maybe sweet potatoes, dandelion, daikon or other radish, carrots, skirret even?
Because the washing before eating would be hard, you would have to do it mostly hydroponically.

Dian Green wrote:I have to wonder if you could use these techniques to do super fancy roots for the haute restaurant market.

I certainly found my dioscorea (yam) happily winding round the bottom of the pots I never made the genius leap that Diana has!

William Bronson wrote:I've been thinking about an alternative to soil blocking that Is similar.
My idea was to grow  plants in a cell tray until they became thoroughly root bound, terminate them, then use the root stabilized soil as a soil block.
Now I'm thinking to grow the roots into the equivalent of a hydroponics net cup, then fill this root cup with seed starting mix.

I'll have to watch the video to see what plants were used.
I was thinking willow for the rooting hormones.

William, I wonder if you did that with something rot resistant like black locust if maybe they could hold up well for a very long time!  Maybe have trees in forms with a bottom portion that is harvested and then regrown into?