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 (1797–1875); Louise Adéone Drölling (1797–1834), Une jeune personne calquant une Fleur (A Young Woman Tracing a Flower)
Antoine-Jean Weber (1797–1875); Louise Adéone Drölling (1797–1834)
1820–1875
Thomas Jeckyll (1827–1881), design for a bracket panel for a Japanese pavillion
Thomas Jeckyll (1827–1881)
1876
Anna Atkins (1799–1871), Robinia pseudo-acacia (America)
Anna Atkins (1799–1871)
circa 1851–1854
untitled
1600s
Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932), untitled
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932), untitled
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932), untitled
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932), untitled
circa 1926–1930
Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932), untitled
circa 1926–1930
George Andrew Tice (1938–2025), Tree #12
circa 1964–1965
George Andrew Tice (1938–2025), Tree #19
circa 1964–1965
untitled
1600s
untitled
1600s
untitled
1600s
untitled
1600s
untitled
1600s
untitled
1600s
untitled
1600s
Doug Starn (born 1961); Mike Starn (born 1961), Structure of Thought 15
Doug Starn (born 1961); Mike Starn (born 1961)
2001–2005
Isabella Kirkland (born 1954); Trillium Graphics (founded 1979); Feature Inc., Trade
2007–2008
Isabella Kirkland (born 1954); Trillium Graphics (founded 1979); Feature Inc., Back
2007–2008
Isabella Kirkland (born 1954); Trillium Graphics (founded 1979); Feature Inc., Gone
2007–2008
Rochester Lithographing and Printing Co. (active 1870–1900s), apple tree salesman's sample book
Rochester Lithographing and Printing Co. (active 1870–1900s)
early 1900s
Richard Selesnick (born 1964); Nicholas Kahn (born 1964), King of Weeds
Richard Selesnick (born 1964); Nicholas Kahn (born 1964)
2013
Dain L. Tasker (1872–1964), Fuschia [Fuchsia]
Dain L. Tasker (1872–1964)
1938
A. Mary Kay (born 1954), Number 28. Stem and Seeds
2004–2008–2011
Katie Paterson (born 1981), Future Library (certificate)
Katie Paterson (born 1981)
2014–2114
Mark Dion (born 1961), portfolio box
2007–2011
Mark Dion (born 1961), Marine Algae
2007–2011
Mark Dion (born 1961), Marine Algae
2007–2011
Mark Dion (born 1961), Marine Algae
2007–2011
Mark Dion (born 1961), Marine Algae
2007–2011
Mark Dion (born 1961), Marine Algae
2007–2011
Mark Dion (born 1961), Marine Algae
2007–2011
Mark Dion (born 1961), Marine Algae
2007–2011
Peter Randall-Page (born 1954), Fibonacci Flip II
Peter Randall-Page (born 1954)
2003
unrecorded Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) or Mi'kmaq (Micmac) artist, small basket with lid
unrecorded Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) or Mi'kmaq (Micmac) artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
Anaïs Tondeur (born 1985), Chernobyl Herbarium
Anaïs Tondeur (born 1985)
2011–2016
Mathias Kessler (born 1968), After Nature (coding and re-coding nature)
Mathias Kessler (born 1968)
2018
Nehemiah Grew (1641–1712), Plate 34, Sumach Branch Cut Transversly
Nehemiah Grew (1641–1712)
1682
John Gerard (1545–1612), title page
John Gerard (1545–1612)
1636
Karl Kröner (1887–1972), Waldflechte (Forest Lichens)
Karl Kröner (1887–1972)
1906
Sarah Hearn (born 1978), Artificial Lichen Colony 10
Sarah Hearn (born 1978)
2015
Sara Taliaferro (born 1962); Rachel Straughn-Navarro, Big Botany, Big Ideas
Sara Taliaferro (born 1962); Rachel Straughn-Navarro
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–March 17, 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