Botanica 2016 at Farm Cove

Botanical Art in Royal Botanical Gardens

Visiting the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney on a sunny Autumn day is one of life’s little pleasures. Add to this the opportunity to witness the uninhibited talent of some 70 artists who are masters of their craft- Contemporary Botanical Art, good company and abundant eating prospects and you have the makings of a most enjoyable day out.

‘Botanica’ at Farm Cove celebrates the bicentenary of the foundation of the Botanical Gardens Sydney on the site in 1816.The exhibition is open until the 1^st May 2016 in Lion Gate Lodge inside the Botanical Gardens. The inspiration for this years ’Botanica’ was a list of plants recommended by Sir Joseph Banks for the new colony. The plants were to be gathered on the way as the first fleet stopped over in Rio de Janeiro, Teneriffe and the Cape of Good Hope. With the surviving plants Governor Phillip established Farm Cove, the origin of Australia’s earliest botanical garden.

The centuries old tradition of botanical illustration was previously used to illustrate medical and culinary texts, with scientific precision. Today Botanical artists still maintain that precision but are increasingly concerned with the beauty of the plant and are pushing the boundaries of the traditional style with vivid colour palettes , symbolic references and details to add narrative . Australia is home to some of the world’s best botanic artists many of which are exhibiting in ‘Botanica’. Flowers, seed pods, insects and birds are the subject of the works in ‘Botanica’ and most are illustrated using watercolour,pencil or graphite.

To view all of the works in this exhibition please see the links below. I have chosen several that impressed me for this article.

One such artist is Kerriann Indorato. Kerriann has taught in secondary and tertiary institutions, worked as freelance illustrator, graphic designer, photographer for unis, the Australian Museum , Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and book publishers.

Her work is solid and bold while remaining accurate, right down to the number of feathers on her bird illustration and stamens in ‘Gymea Lily’ (Doryanthes excels- watercolour).

Her ‘Turks Turbin’ (Cucurbita maxima) was selected for the exhibition brochure. It’s minimalist composition and rich treatment of the humble squash delivers so much more than a scientific illustration.

Looking at an enlarged detail of ‘Sage ‘by Kerrianne I cannot imagine having the rigorous discipline of such accurate botanical representation.

The series of berries by Lauren Sahu- Khan are outstanding in their simple truthfulness. The large illustrations of each fruit as a whole and cross section are exquisitely painted with an exceptional eye for detail and a strong restrained composition. This young woman who completed a Bachelor of Natural History and Illustration at University of Newcastle in 2012 obviously has a deep love of nature and an appreciation for its detail and splendor. Her illustrations are flawless and stirs the viewer to experience more than mere wondering of her technique. The strawberry brings my senses alive and has me salivating at the illusory scent and texture generated by Laurens depiction.

Beverly Allen has a degree in Fine Arts and a background in Graphic Design. Now she paints botanical specimens from life, often life size with stunning colours, bringing mundane plants to life. ‘Poppy’ goes beyond the art of close observation .The subject is technically and artistically challenging and Beverly successfully manipulates the beauty and intricacies of the poppy to express a momentary sensuality. To capture that fleeting moment in the life of a plant is often the inspiration in Beverly’s work.

Linda Catchlove’s background is in graphic design and animation. Having later studied horticulture and botanical art she now immerses herself in her magical world of plants, bugs and seed pods. ‘Banksia Serrata’ is a larger-than-life painting using graphite and watercolour. The meticulous process of capturing the exact detail of this close-up gives credit to her collecting unique and interesting specimens in the field. Here she has added a bug to add to the narrative of the work.

Anne Hayes is a Botanical artist, designer and Illustrator. Her version of ‘Banksia Serrata’ is again larger than life painted on arches hot pressed watercolour paper 600 x 340mm.This is an example of bringing a specimen to life with 3 dimensional aesethic appeal, painted beautifully without apparent brushstrokes.

Annie Hughes began her career in Textile Design and moved into Botanical Art in 2005.Her Protea cynaroides and Eucalypts caesia are perfect examples of her eye for detail and composition which make her work unique.

Botanical art is flourishing and is more important than ever before as devastation of species and environments adds an urgency to plant identification. After having the privilege of experiencing these wonderful examples of patience, perseverence and passion I will never look at a flower in quite the same way again.

Please check out the other works at this exhibition as they are all wonderful.

References see links below:

Botanica 2016 photos of works

http://www.laurenmaysk.com.au/

http://www.beverlyallen.com.au/

http://www.lindacatchlove.com.au/

http://www.anniehughes.com.au/

http://annehayes.com.au/