Masterclass Series 2023

Exploring the intersections between art and science: displaced flora

with Donna Davis and Prof Darren Crayn

Saturday 23 September, 2023

10am – 2.30pm

$150pp

Stage 1: In the field

Begin the day with Biodiversity Scientist, Professor Darren Crayn, outdoors with a field visit around the Gallery exploring nearby parklands and taking time to examine the diversity of plant forms.

Learn how to use nature observations to develop identification skills, document findings and discover online resources available to assist plant identification. Create photographic collections of flora found during the field survey on a phone, mobile device or camera.

Stage 2: In the Studio

Create your own imagined climate-adapted plant using displaced flora and field knowledge as your stimulus. Back at the Gallery will be a hands-on drawing and collage workshop showing how environmental data can be explored artistically and used as an entry point for inspiration in the creative process.

This workshop is suitable for absolute beginners. No plant knowledge or drawing skills are necessary.

Participants to bring:

Hat, Sunscreen, Water, Mobile Phone, or Mobile device (avid photographers can bring cameras and tripods)

Investment $150

About the Artists

Donna Davis

Donna Davis explores the nexus between art and science. She creates new ways of working with ecological concepts and data to develop artworks that capture and create sites of environmental observation. As an artist, she is intrigued with the idea of connection, and works across a range of media including sculpture, installation and digital media to explore connections and relationships with the natural world. She believes that the art/science field provides a powerful catalyst to challenge our discourse, raise environmental awareness and promote conservation of our ecology: by providing new ways of ‘seeing’ and creating new ‘connections’ in the mind of the viewer.

Biodiversity Scientist

Professor Darren Crayn [Director of Australian Tropical Herbarium]

Tropical Mountain Plant Science Project Lead Darren Crayn is a failed engineering student, born again as a biodiversity scientist, and now Director of the Australian Tropical Herbarium. His professional life is equal parts management, leadership and research. His research aims to find out how many plant species exist, where they occur, how they are related and how they have evolved. This means fun outdoors in interesting places, but also helps humanity understand the natural world so that we can best conserve it both for its intrinsic value and for the benefit of our descendants.

Sunday 23 Sept 2023 10am - 2.30pm