Story behind the art of Giacomina Ferrillo
27th Annual International
American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators
Memento 1
Malus sylvestris
Botanical art is a sensitive look at nature. This was the starting point of my research: the dominant role that this artistic discipline has in raising awareness regarding the protection of the planet, climate change, and the preservation of species.
My approach to botanical art, due to my background (art history, literature, engraving, painting, drawing), is first and foremost artistic/philosophical/narrative. Over time, this has led me to the firm belief that botanical art will be one of the most important artistic disciplines of the future and an increasingly stronger voice for nature.
The language of art, thanks to empathy, can be very effective in transferring a message, and the language of botanical art is combined with scientific knowledge. The link between artistic discipline and science places botanical art among the most effective tools in raising awareness about man’s role in environmental protection. It is the Baroque art of our times, not at the service of the church but of the sacred temple of nature. With its descriptive and dynamic virtuosity, it can become an art of persuasion and propaganda.
The emphatic aesthetic language of botanical art captures people’s attention about the wonder that surrounds us. This art attracts scientific attention through beauty, and by attention, I mean "care".
The collection of branches represented in my Royal Horticultural Society project, of which this apple branch is part, is a warning whose voice is the sculptural beauty of their decay phase. They are not rare species, indeed rather common ones that we encounter every day on our street, that perhaps we look at but do not "see" in their real beauty and importance. I collected them during walks, sometimes following rain or windstorms, but also collected in the context of city life scenarios: parks, car parks, tree-lined sidewalks, where neglect, vandalism or the adaptation of fauna from a different habitat have made trees victims of our time. I chose subjects rich in intricate details, which could transport people’s gaze along paths of curved leaves, overlapping seeds and crossings of small secondary branches. They are damaged, they are not perfect, and I highlighted the points where the branches are broken. I considered them integral to the narrative.
In terms of technique, I used the delicate virtuosity of watercolor to show the real colors of the species, together with ink in black and white, so powerful and incisive. The technique is crucial to a strong visual impact, as well as to the message. Each branch is reproduced in every detail, in terms of the bark, veins of the leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds, and above all the way in which they unfold in space and fold back on themselves. The watercolor parts create a realistic accent in the monochrome context by creating a strong contrast. Watercolor and ink also blend classic and new, to reach the viewer, especially the young public, with a language that is both formal and modern.
Although I used the necessary scientific rigor and accuracy, I didn't want this project to be just a report of a botanical species. I wanted to emphasize the sculptural beauty of these decaying branches, the dramatic aspect, the poetry, which create an element of dialog with the viewer, a possibility for reflection. In nature, everything is part of a life cycle: the branches, sometimes broken because of human negligence, become organic material which can be useful for the next cycle, and in this case, I used my art to ensure that these branches were not wasted.
“Somnus plantarum,” The Sleep of Plants, a small treatise from 1755 by Carl
Linnaeus, the Swedish scientist who classified plants, animals and minerals, was fundamental to my inspiration for this artwork. The study concerned observations of the positions that leaves and branches of some plants assume at night, as if these were observations of hours of sleep and wakefulness. I felt that idea was applicable to my branches, whose position seemed to be that of relaxed abandonment, almost as if they were asleep. So I studied a little about phytodynamics, and consulted texts on plant neurobiology.
Linnaeus also observed the "sense and will" of plants. Today the emotional aspect of plant life is a branch of plant neurobiology, one in which I am most interested. I wanted to highlight this sensitivity, like the human one, to help make us more respectful and attentive towards nature. Hence my warning, my Memento.
This Memento, with the "fallen" on the field in the battle against our indifference, is a demonstration of how much beauty there is in nature and how botanical art can be important, through beauty, to the debate on conservation of the environment.
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