Saturday, September 5, 2–4pm 

Explorations in the Ecotone: The Botanical Lens: from contact print to contemporary environmental investigations -researching the in-between. presented by Liz Wells

VSW welcomes renowned British photography scholar and theorist, Liz Wells to present a talk on her recent research on Botanical photography. Wells’s research on photographic culture focuses on land, landscape, place, and environment, as well as on photographic theory and practices. She is the author of Land Matters (Routledge, 2011) and is the editor of numerous textbooks on the history and criticism of photography.

Little has been written about histories of botanical photography aside from in terms of art and aesthetics. This talk centres on historical uses of photography within botanical explorations and documentation. When, why and under what circumstances did the camera come to supplement or substitute for botanical drawing? Plates and prints, if they still exist, are dispersed across various types of collection, from botanical centres and historic homes to medical institutions, local and national libraries, and photo museums. That collections are dispersed, and that in fields such as science-led botany research institutes ‘old’ photos are of little significance, poses specific research challenges. Liz Wells will reference Seedscapes:Future-Proofing Nature (UK tour 2020/21), and her current research into botanical photography within British colonialism in South Asia.

$10 suggested donation / free for members

[Tickets]

 

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