The Australian PlantBank inspires local artist

This year marks the 30th Birthday of the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, and with that comes a stunning new art exhibition in partnership with Julie Hickson from 1 November.

Julie is a visual artist with a passion for Australian native plants who spent the past year exploring the inner landscapes of seed pods, flowers and plants in the laboratory of the Australian PlantBank alongside our team of passionate scientists.
 
Her original approach to using hand cut stencils in painting formed the concept for ‘pod & pod’, the moniker under which she produces a wide variety of work on canvas based on Australian botanicals and coastal scenes. Through her work these forms evolve into abstracted and reduced stylised designs.

Art inspired by science

From seed, to plant, to bud, to flower and pod - this progression of life captivates and tells a story about the plant and the land from which it comes. This interest led Julie to the Garden and having a residency there allowed her to survey these forms on another level - quite literally. Studying seed pods and other plant material under the microscope and through the x-ray provided her with another perspective.

Hickson’s artwork centres around the patterns, lines and structures within our plant forms reveals the process of getting closer and surveying the hidden landscapes within them.
 
There are two parts to the exhibit – the Telopea Gallery will feature new work which are one-offs or originals on canvas and signed ‘Hickson’. The Theatre will display the pod & pod artwork which are part of a numbered series of each design.

If you would like to learn more about the stencil and paint process - Julie will be holding two workshops at the Garden in November which can be booked here.