Photography and botany

Research into publications on photography and botany, historically and now
'Botany Cards, n.d., probably used for plant identification, from the Austrian National Photography Archive, Vienna’. Photo-documentation, Liz Wells, 8 April 2019

Sustainable Earth Institute funding has enabled research into publications on photography and botany, historically and now, and identified key archives where photographs and associated written materials are held. 

This has contributed further information to support a proposal for a book with work by photographers exploring botanical, environmental and sustainability issues, that will be linked with the forthcoming exhibition, Seedscapes: Future-proofing Nature, that will open at Impressions Gallery, Bradford, in April 2020, and then tour within the UK for up to 3 years.

The publication supporting the tour will include: portfolios of work by the five artist-photographers included in the Seedscapes exhibition, plus additional photographic materials; three essays on photo-aesthetics, botany and sustainable futures; and historical images and documents relating to photography and botany.

Hand cupping seeds in a garden
Getty Images
green shoots
Skardon Garden plants

Impressions Gallery

Impressions Gallery is a charity that helps people to understand the world through photography. Founded in 1972, it was one of the first specialist photography galleries in the UK, and continues to support artists who challenge and change photography to this day. 

Find out more about Impressions Gallery

Creative Associates - Impressions Gallery logo

Creative Associates

The Sustainable Earth Institute's Creative Associates projects aim to explore novel and innovative ways of communicating research and develop a portfolio of case studies of the different creative approaches possible.

Find out more about the initiatives
Patient at Kyrgyz Research Institute of Balneology and Recovery Treatment. Interestingly, it doesn’t take much to move people from the formal expressions in portraits into a much warmer mood. Image: Carey Marks

Image: Carey Marks/Creative Associates

Sustainable Earth Institute

The Sustainable Earth Institute is about promoting a new way of thinking about the future of our world.
We bring researchers together with businesses, community groups and individuals to develop cutting-edge research and innovative approaches that build resilience to global challenges.
We link diverse research areas across the University including science, engineering, arts, humanities, health and business.
Baobab tree in Madagascar