Plant Museum_1 Photographic Print by Carine Thévenau 50cm x 50cm @ PCP Gallery
Plant Museum 1 will be exhibited at this years COLLECTIVE 2021 at Perth Centre for Photography. The print is on sale and money raised supports the Perth Centre for Photography as an important cultural institution and long time supporter of the photographic medium.
"PCP’s COLLECTIVE is WA’s largest open-themed photographic art event, held in annual celebration of our diverse and talented membership. The result, an eclectic and inspiring exhibition, turning the spotlight on to some of Australia’s greatest photographic artists" Words care of PCP .
Artist statement:
Plant Museum is a visual examination of the colonial history of Australia’s botanical gardens. Botanical gardens are public green spaces that promote human connection to nature and allow visitors the escapist and immersive experience of coexisting alongside diverse plant life collected from all corners of the globe. Although wondrous, the garden’s colonial past is evident in its inclusion and maintenance of exotic plant life that are exhibited to the public, not dissimilar to a museum’s cabinet of curiosities. Historically both museums and botanical gardens emerged from imperialism and native flora was excluded from garden collections. However, during the 1960’s, Australian native plants were introduced and thereby instigated a significant and much welcomed shift towards the decolonisation of the gardens. Kings Park Western Australia is an example of a decolonised botanical garden, as it is predominantly made up of native bushland.
Plant Museum captures plant portraits that document the evidential stains of Australia’s empirical colonial past and the evolving political and cultural landscape of Australian Botanical Gardens.