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Australian National Botanic Gardens |
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Telephone (02) 6250 9538 Facsimile (02) 6250 9528 Media enquiries: Sabrina Sonntag (M) 0431184787 |
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Australian National Botanic Gardens |
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Telephone (02) 6250 9538 Facsimile (02) 6250 9528 Media enquiries: Sabrina Sonntag (M) 0431184787 |
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The Botanic Gardens newest exhibition, Bare Winter, is a remarkable series of photographic images of female nudes in the Tasmanian wilderness.
Bare Winter is the work of Hobart photographer Kirsty Pilkington and was first shown at the Long Gallery, Hobart, last year. It reflects her passion for the preservation of our natural heritage and is a sensual record of the beauty and connection between Woman and Mother Earth.
A trip to the Styx Valley in 1999 inspired Ms Pilkington with the idea for the Bare Winter series. She returned to the Styx Forest, and other spectacular locations including Mount Field National Park, Split Rock Falls, The Weld, Mount Wellington and Notley Fern Gorge in the winter of 2005 to photograph forty-four women in connection with nature. Thirty of these works are displayed at the Botanic Gardens.
“My greatest hope is that more people will rediscover a connection with the earth and respect and preserve it for future generations. The nude figures celebrate the natural beauty of people and the beauty of forests, and are intended as reminders that people are part of the environment,” Ms Pilkington said.
“I wanted to record the beauty, scale and mystical nature of the forests, and share my respect and reverence for the various elements of the natural world that provide us with so much.”
Ms Pilkington holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography, and in 1990 she established the Rappaw Prints range of greeting cards and postcards to raise the profile of animal advocacy. The Rappaw Prints logo is ‘Stamp Out Indifference’ and the initial animal models were orphaned wildlife she reared by hand.
Bare Winter will be opened by Ms Pilkington and Dr Tony Orchard, who was foundation Curator of the Tasmanian Herbarium, a department of the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery.
Bare Winter is on display in the Gardens’ Visitor Centre from 1 August until 29 October 2006. Limited edition prints can be purchased through the artist’s website at www.rappawprints.com
What: Bare Winter media preview
Where: Visitor Centre, Australian National Botanic Gardens
When: Tuesday 1 August, 2006, 11.00 am
Media contact: Paul Ziesing
Australian National Botanic Gardens
(02) 6250 9405
paul.ziesing@deh.gov.au
