Mold Garden (2000) shows enlarged images of common molds (bread and fruit mold) sandblasted onto glass. The carved-out areas serve as miniature petri dishes that are filled with growth medium and inoculated with mold spores. In Tide Flowers (2006) the changing tide on the Hudson River is made visible with bright, buoyant vinyl flower petals hinged to the pier’s piling. Connecting urban life to the daily schedule of nature, the flowers bloom at high tide and close at low tide.
Levy uses art as a vehicle for translating the patterns and processes of the natural world. Her work often addresses environmental problems and makes the functioning of the environment visible. Interested in watersheds, tides, growth, and erosion, Levy makes projects that show how nature functions in an urban setting. Bridging art with science, her research often includes collaborations with ecologists, biologists, and engineers.