Big Botany: Conversations with the Plant World

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

Big Botany: Conversations with the Plant World
Big Botany: Conversations with the Plant World
Stephen Goddard, curator
Galleries 315, 316, 317, and 408 Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Big Botany: Conversations with the Plant World will explore humankind’s deep connections and fascination with the plant kingdom through works from the Spencer’s collection, a number of significant loans, and commissions by living artists. The exhibition will be organized through several themes: artists' studies of plant forms; historic and contemporary plant lore; art dealing with ecological sustainability and biomechanical plant hybrids; plants in a post-human world; and works dealing with current scientific research on how plants sense the world and communicate.

An accompanying publication will document the project and include brief texts by artists and curators as well as biologists, ecologists, and philosophers. A range of educational programs will engage university students, youth and families, scholars, and citizen scientists with the exhibition's central themes and artists.

Exhibition images

Works of art

Antoine-Jean Weber, Louise Adéone Drölling
1820–1875
Sebald Beham
1543
Orval Hixon
1925
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1928
William Morris
1890
Anna Atkins
circa 1851–1854
1600s
William Sharp, John Fisk Allen
1854
William Sharp, John Fisk Allen
1854
Lawrence Lithography Workshop, Susan Davidoff
2001
Lawrence Lithography Workshop, Susan Davidoff
2002
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt
1932
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt
circa 1926–1930
George Andrew Tice
circa 1964–1965
George Andrew Tice
circa 1964–1965
1600s
1600s
1600s
1600s
1600s
1600s
1600s
William Sharp, John Fisk Allen
1854
William Sharp, John Fisk Allen
1854
William Sharp, John Fisk Allen
1854
Doug Starn, Mike Starn
2001–2005
Renée Stout
2006
Mark Kostabi
1983
Carl Wilhelm Kolbe the elder
circa 1800–1803
Isabella Kirkland, Trillium Graphics, Feature Inc.
2007–2008
Isabella Kirkland, Trillium Graphics, Feature Inc.
2007–2008
Isabella Kirkland, Trillium Graphics, Feature Inc.
2007–2008
Isabella Kirkland, Trillium Graphics, Feature Inc.
2007–2008
Isabella Kirkland, Trillium Graphics, Feature Inc.
2007–2008
Isabella Kirkland, Trillium Graphics, Feature Inc.
2007–2008
Rochester Lithographing and Printing Co.
early 1900s
Eduardo Kac
2009
Eduardo Kac
2009
Eduardo Kac
2009
Eduardo Kac
2009
Eduardo Kac
2009
Ryan Oakes, Trevor Oakes
2014
Ryan Oakes, Trevor Oakes
2014
Richard Selesnick, Nicholas Kahn
2013
Jost Amman, Wenzel Jamnitzer
1568
Jost Amman, Wenzel Jamnitzer
1568
Jost Amman, Wenzel Jamnitzer
1568
Jost Amman, Wenzel Jamnitzer
1568
Jost Amman, Wenzel Jamnitzer
1568
Dain L. Tasker
1938
Lori Nix
2010
Lori Nix
2015
A. Mary Kay
2004–2008
A. Mary Kay
2004–2008–2011
A. Mary Kay
2016
Katie Paterson
2014–2114
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Mark Dion
2007–2011
Mark Dion
2007–2011
Mark Dion
2007–2011
Mark Dion
2007–2011
Mark Dion
2007–2011
Mark Dion
2007–2011
Mark Dion
2007–2011
Mark Dion
2007–2011
Laurence Aëgerter
2015
Ernst Haeckel
1904
Ernst Haeckel
1904
Ernst Haeckel
1904
Peter Randall-Page
2003
José Antonio Suárez Londoño, Felix Harlan, Carol Weaver, Harlan & Weaver
2014–2015
José Antonio Suárez Londoño, Felix Harlan, Carol Weaver, Harlan & Weaver
2014–2015
José Antonio Suárez Londoño, Felix Harlan, Carol Weaver, Harlan & Weaver
2014–2015
José Antonio Suárez Londoño, Felix Harlan, Carol Weaver, Harlan & Weaver
2014–2015
José Antonio Suárez Londoño, Felix Harlan, Carol Weaver, Harlan & Weaver
2014–2015
José Antonio Suárez Londoño, Felix Harlan, Carol Weaver, Harlan & Weaver
2014–2015
unrecorded Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) or Mi'kmaq (Micmac) artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Israhel van Meckenem the younger, Master of the Housebook
late 1400s
Rohini Devasher
2007
Rohini Devasher
2008
Heather Ackroyd, Dan Harvey
2018
Maria Sibylla Merian
1771
John Gerard
1636
Laurence Aëgerter
2015
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Andrew Raftery
2009–2016
Sandy Winters
2014–2018
Sandy Winters
2014–2018
William Sharp, John Fisk Allen
1854
Heather Ackroyd, Dan Harvey
2018
Heather Ackroyd, Dan Harvey
2018

Events

March 13–March 27, 2018
Engagement
Spencer Museum of Art
March 15–March 27, 2018
Engagement
Spencer Museum of Art
March 15–March 27, 2018
Engagement
Spencer Museum of Art
March 27, 2018
Talk
5:30–6:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Auditorium, 309
March 28, 2018
Conference
10:00AM–5:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art
March 30, 2018
Performance
12:00–1:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Sam and Connie Perkins Central Court, 317
April 11, 2018
Talk
5:30–6:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Auditorium, 309
April 13, 2018
Tour
9:00–10:50AM
Spencer Museum of Art, 315, 316, 317, 408
April 21, 2018
Activity
1:00–4:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Sam and Connie Perkins Central Court, 317
April 21, 2018
Performance
4:00–5:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Sam and Connie Perkins Central Court, 317
April 22, 2018
Talk
2:00–4:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Sam and Connie Perkins Central Court, 317, Spencer Museum of Art, Kemper Family Foundations Balcony, 408, Spencer Museum of Art, H.W. (Bill) and Marynell D. Reece Memorial Plaza
April 29, 2018
Activity
12:00–3:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art
May 2, 2018
Talk
5:30–6:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Auditorium, 309
May 3, 2018–April 9, 2025
Talk
10:00–11:00AM
The Commons, Spooner Hall, 1340 Jayhawk Blvd
May 19, 2018
Activity
1:00–4:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Sam and Connie Perkins Central Court, 317
May 24, 2018
Talk
10:00–11:00AM
Spencer Museum of Art, Sam and Connie Perkins Central Court, 317
May 31, 2018
Screening
6:00–7:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art
June 8, 2018
Talk
1:00–2:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Jack and Lavon Brosseau Center for Learning, 318
June 14, 2018
Screening
6:00–7:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Auditorium, 309
June 28, 2018
Screening
6:00–8:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Auditorium, 309
July 15, 2018
Screening
2:00–3:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Auditorium, 309

Resources

Documents