David Poorvu
Hiding in Plain Sight
Early this spring, before temperatures began to climb, I began to inspect stone walls in my front yard. Close examination revealed deep green mosses and some very unexpected growth, that at first looked like mushrooms but turned out to be Lichens. They are easily seen from a short distance, but the amazing variety of shapes, colors and textures can only be seen up very close.
Lichens are not plants but a composite organism of algae or bacteria living in a mutualistic relationship with fungi, just as reef-building corals have a mutually beneficial relationship with microscopic algae. One estimate is that lichens cover up to 6% of total land surfaces and yet we pass them by every day. Every inspection reveals something new and interesting.
Artist Bio
David Poorvu is a lifelong resident of Massachusetts. As a nature enthusiast, a biology teacher, and outdoorsman, he has developed a keen sensitivity to the world around him and his photographic practice reflects this passion.
As a teen, David had a small photo processing business and was involved in photography for school publications.
His first trip to Southern Africa in 2001 sparked his enthusiasm for photographing the natural world. Since that first adventure, he has photographed in natural environments as varied as Africa on four additional trips, The Galapagos and the American West. He has an ongoing interest in photographing bobcats in northern California.
Poorvu has participated in numerous photographic workshops and classes. His photographs have won awards in club competitions and have been displayed at the Griffin Museum of Photography and in several public and commercial buildings in greater Boston.