Seeds – The Linnean Society, UK

This is an in-person event at the Linnean Society. There is a drinks reception after the lecture in our library – a paid bar will be available.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR TICKET

Artists and scientists have a long collaborative tradition in the observation, recording and depiction of plants, and their visual representations have evolved into a wealth of many contrasting styles. From the symbolic and artistic, to the illustrative and scientific, a range of genres fulfilling different needs.

Perhaps less well known is the role the microscope has played within this context. As early as 1680 the plant anatomist Nehemiah Grew was producing spectacular engravings of plant sections and structures. With the arrival of micro-photography in nineteenth century, opportunities for artists to engage with this emerging technology quickly diminished and remained underexplored for a century until the arrival of digital technologies and an appreciation for the value in art and science collaboration.

The artist Rob Kesseler FLS has worked with plants throughout his career, employing a wide range of techniques and critical approaches. For the past twenty-five years he has worked alongside plant scientists around the world to explore the creative potential of microscopy resulting in an impressive body of work.

This in-conversation will reveal some of his working methods, why opportunities for artists to engage with science are important and how his deep engagement with microscopy and a distinctive approach to creating images has enabled a broader understanding of both the complexities of plants and the challenges they face in a time of climate crisis.

Rob Kesseler FLS is a visual artist, Fellow of the Linnean Society and Emeritus Professor of Art, Design & Science at Central Saint Martins, London. He is also an active and committed Ambassador of the work of the Royal Microscopical Society.

He exhibits internationally and has published an award winning series of books on Pollen, Seeds and Fruit published by Papadakis, it has featured on the covers of many scientific journals and the recent BBC series Secrets of Size. He has received fellowships at Kew, the Gulbenkian Science Institute, Portugal and Dartmouth College New Hampshire.

The event coincides with his solo exhibition, Study, at Ken artspace London.

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Concessions

Please buy the concession ticket if you are any of the below:

• 65 years of age, or over
• Under 26 years of age
• Currently in receipt of UK government benefit (including, but not limited to, Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit, and Universal Credit).
• Currently in full-time education.

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