Material Memory Studio — Research
Material Research Library
A living archive of material references, historical sources, biomaterial experiments, pigments, binders, and artistic research — accumulated across 12 countries and ongoing studio practice.
Each entry includes what the material is, why artists use it, historical context, basic process, common failures, and Jay's own studio notes. The library grows with each workshop, residency, and research trip.
Field Research
Material Trips
Field research documentation — New York · Boston · and beyond
Browse by Category
Ceramic Reef Substrates — Art and Coral Restoration
How fired porcelain, shaped by a ceramicist and placed on the ocean floor, becomes the preferred habitat for coral larvae looking to settle and grow
Arts as Ecology
Art practice in ecological context — from Earth Art (1969) to Feral Atlas (2020) and the Anthropocene
Situated Knowledge & Material Practice
Donna Haraway, Anna Tsing, and the politics of knowing from somewhere specific
Mycelium Biomaterials — Growing Fungal Packaging and Insulation
Grow mycelium on agricultural waste (corn husks, straw) to make compostable packaging, acoustic panels, and insulation. A guide to fungal biomaterial techniques.
Learn & Make
From archive to studio — learn these materials in person
The research here forms the foundation of our workshops and 1:1 material consultations. If you want to work with a specific material — hands-on, in the studio — reach out.