Kazari - Susan Purdy New Branches on an Old Tree - Photogram

450 Malvern Rd & 290 Malvern Rd
Prahran 3181
Victoria Australia
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New Branches on an Old Tree is a unique blend of two artistic traditions designed to encourage renewed thinking about the cultural implications of oriental botany in a western setting.

The work merges the strands of contemporary photography and traditional Chinese painting to represent a year through the seasons in the Southern Chinese Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, a prominent cultural, horticultural and scientific public institution.

It aims to highlight cultural links by addressing the little-known fact that Chinese plants make up a significant part of our everyday Australian garden environments.

Chinese plants are not only rich in physical beauty but also in historical, literary and symbolic associations. They are valued not merely for their appearance and medicinal uses but as icons of values and ideals accumulated over many centuries of appreciation. These include health, wealth, longevity and happiness, all of which are desirable states that cross national borders and remind us of the hopes we share in common.

New Branches on an Old Tree demonstrates these associations, ideas and values and celebrates a positive connection between Australia and Asia by using the potential of visual art to communicate rich and engaging narratives of connection.

This major solo exhibition presents a comprehensive and original archive of images that are the culmination of four years of intensive work and research.

Artist's Statement

Opening Address by Terry Smyth

Description of a photogram

Japanese fine art exhibition pieces 052 s.jpg

Susan Purdy shows her 'new bough', art book New Branches on an old Tree

Exhibition:

New Branches on an Old Tree

8th September - 1st October

This exhibition presents the complete archive: 36 luminous photograms of oriental botany.

and celebrates their publication in a superb limited edition Giclee artist book by Blue Moon Press - the first available editions are available in a specially crafted box.

The 36 images are of Chinese plants represent the passage of the seasons through a year in the Southern Chinese Collection of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.

The photograms (framed) images: one complete edition is available, others can be bought individually or in seasonal groups from two other editions (3 in all)

Click on images to enlarge