At one time the world of living things was classified into two simple groups, plants and animals. Botany concerned itself with the study of plants. We are linked to these, our earthly cousins, in so many ways. As a planetary phenomenon we take for granted that to our yin the plants provide the yang. We breath in oxygen and out carbon dioxide, they absorb carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Clearly an elegant arrangement was agreed upon by the forces of the Universe to arrive at such a symbiosis. Whether it be the form of organic plant life, or the concept of its functionality, the implications of its shared existence with humanity, or its clever ability to convert sunlight into food, plant life is as fascinating as it is beautiful. In the context of contemporary society it is interesting to consider what this can mean in the hands of artists.
For its 21st exhibit season Manifest revisits the theme the gallery first presented in spring of 2012, and again in early 2016.
BOTANICAL is a call for works of visual art which explore the theme of plant life (using formal or conceptual approaches). These may be in ways that are quite straightforward and descriptive, or which are abstract, conceptual or in other ways surprising or inventive. Manifest is eager to once again explore this theme and create a dynamic exhibition revealing just how artists make work of any media or genre (painting, drawing, collage, photography, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media, video, and non-traditional art, etc.) using plant life as a source of inspiration and exploration.
For more information, visit Manifest Gallery
