This one-of-a-kind casting comes from Walter Greenleaf’s ongoing artistic research practice of shaping nanofibrilated wood cellulose with found textile molds. It was made by modifying an inverted toy reptile to contain nanofiber pulp, exposing the mold to the winter conditions of Bangor, Maine, and repairing the dried material with hot glue.

Freeze-dried Nanocellulose Reptile is a fragile sculpture; it has been repaired before, and in all likelihood it will need to be repaired again some day. The freeze-drying process results in a structure replete with air pockets, and as an artifact of untreated cellulose it is susceptible to damage from moisture and other environmental conditions. Nonetheless, it represents a striking and significant advancement in nanofiber casting.

Special thanks to the PDC! The University of Maine’s Process Development Center is one of the world’s most advanced manufacturers of cellulose nanofiber, and generously provides its experimental materials to researchers, artistic or otherwise, at little to no cost.