Ergot

For this piece, I interpreted the theme of secrets as hidden or unknown knowledge. I’ve always been intrigued by how people in the past explained phenomena they didn’t understand, which led me to explore the Salem Witch Trials. Some scientists suggest that the symptoms attributed to witchcraft may have actually been caused by Ergot fungus, a hallucinogenic and poisonous fungus that grows on rye and other grains. Until the 1800s, farmers mistakenly believed it was part of the plant and milled it with the grain. Consuming this fungus could result in convulsions, hallucinations, and delirium, potentially explaining the strange behaviors reported during that period.
This idea—that the true cause may have been hiding in plain sight, rather than something supernatural—inspired me to create a rye leaf brooch with Ergot fungus emerging from it.