“Plant Scenery of the World” - Botanic Gardens visit and Exhibition

The Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh is one of my favourite places (which you will quickly become aware of).  It is a sort of mini escape, whilst you are firmly in the centre of Edinburgh, there is a lovely, peaceful, calmness I find there.  And even though it is a train ride away, it is well worth the effort.  Whilst I obviously enjoy having a wander around, I also find it a beautiful place to photograph and gather inspiration. 

On this occasion, here was a specific purpose to my most recent journey.  The gardens are celebrating 50 years of the Front Range Glasshouses with a celebratory exhibition and a series of talks and events on the subject.  One of my favourite things about the Botanics is the Glasshouses and they have provided a lot of inspiration for me, therefore I headed along to hear a talk about their history.  I had no idea that there had been so many variations, plans and locations for the Glasshouses, maximising their use as a vital tool for plant research, as well as, a tourist attraction.   In addition to the talk, I looked around the accompanying exhibition in Inverleith House – “Plant Scenery of the World”.  The exhibition features many different artists and here is a highlight of some of my favourite pieces. 

Charlie Billington, Untitled (wall print and plant pots) 2017

 The first room you go into features the work of Charlie Billington, and includes wallpaper, painted pots with plants in them and painted canvases.  My favourite part of the room is the wallpaper.  I love the boldness of the design and the colours, particularly orange with the soft green colour.  The whole room feels bright and fun.  On the wall, alongside the work of Charlie Billington sits some detail drawings of the glasshouses at the Botanic gardens.

Laura Aldridge, Display Scape #6 For Inverleith: Drop. Cloth 2017
Signals and Get Wet 2016-17

The next picture includes the work of Laura Aldridge, both the floor covering and glass sculpture.  For me the most interesting part is the creation of the floor covering.  It is all created using different natural dying techniques and tropical plants.  Different natural substances are used to transfer the natural pigments from the leaves on to the fabric. 

Oliver Osborne, Rubber Plant ( Empty Fridge) 2012

Lastly, I have chosen the paintings of Oliver Osborne.  The mustard walls of the room initially draw you in as they contrast to the muted colours of the intricate paintings.  This particular painting the blue background really stands out against the wall colouring.  That isn’t, however, the only contrast as in the middle of the painting is a small cartoon of a fridge, I’m not sure if there is a specific reason, but I like it none the less. 

There were multiple other interesting things to see throughout the exhibition but this was just a short overview of a select few, but it is a well worth a visit.