For one whole year there was a non scientist bending over a microscope or studying xrays at the Australian PlantBank.
But this was no ordinary “impostor’’.
Wearing this white coat was Julie Hickson, an artist with a passion for Australian native plants.
As part of an artist’s residency at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, Ms Hickson spent 12 months exploring the inner landscapes of seed pods, flowers and plants in the laboratory at the Australian PlantBank.
But there was another reason a visual artist was embedded among the scientists inside the beautifully designed building of the PlantBank.
After closely studying the life of plants for a year – from seed, to plant, to bud, to flower and pod – Julie Hickson has produced a stunning collection of works, 21 all up.
“Yes, it was hard work, but it was worth it,’’ the artist says at the launch of the exhibition last week in the PlantBank building, pictured below.
The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will be open until the end of this month.
It is one of the highlights of celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the Australian Botanic Garden at M Annan.
All the works are for sale, with some of the proceeds going back into the work of the PlantBank.
The Australian PlantBank provides a hub for science, conservation and education of our plants and environment.
It brings together, under one roof, seed and living plant collections that form a resource for identification, research and restoration of Australian plants.
The main function of the Australian PlantBank, through its science activities, will be to document the biology of species through studies in the field, the laboratory and in cultivation.
The Hickson exhibition though is a first, an artist showing the rest of us what scientists see when looking at the life of plants.
But there are also more personal touches, like when the artist confesses her favourite work is Odyssey/Macadamia.
“It was quite fascinating to see this in an xray,’’ she says.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“But I also quite like eating macadamias, too.’’[/social_quote]
Ms Hickson will be holding two workshops on November 10 and 11 November teaching her technique.
For more information or to book a place go online here.
