Botanical illustration has been with us for millennia. Starting with the Ancient Greeks attempts to record plants for medicinal purposes, it has expanded into the methodical graphical indexing of plants as a scientific endeavor, and eventually, in the Age of Expansion, part of the colonial enterprise. With advancements of photography, instead of dying out, botanical illustration has diversified its roles to satisfy artistic impulses.
In Natural Progression, a loose survey of contemporary Philippine practitioners is made, to see how botanical illustration has been used as method of inquiry, material of expression, and even as means of protest. As an exhibition, it is meant to give form to botanical illustration’s artistic inclination and natural progression in our contemporary contexts.
curated by Ricky Francisco