inspiration for friday...

This week I feel as though progress is being made. In fact progress is often being made by simply turning up and doing what must be done.

But you know that feeling when things that have been pushed to the side are attended to ... you just feel ever so pleased. Now a non-art project that emerged a few weeks back is looking as though it will become the main concern for the next few months... but too early for notes on that. All I can say is that it is positive even if a little unexpected.

Wednesday I had a huge clearing out at home and looked closely at what was stored away to see what could be parted with or sent to the studio perhaps. Thursday I got over to the studio with some finds and then proceeded to pull apart the entire space and rethink everything... from the pragmatic to the philosophical. MOVING THINGS AROUND CAN BE SO ENERGISING!

Today Ive sorted thousands of emails on my desk top computer... and along the way attended to unfinished tasks and such.

Here and there I found images and ideas I liked. Now the afternoon is fading and thoughts turn to getting the citycat down at the river to go see an exhibition of architecture student's work where I was working first semester thus year.

so.. a few images...

Rob Kesseler: from his website.

MORPHOGENESIS

As a new initiative celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity 2010, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation initiated a cross-cultural inter-disciplinary project forming a trans-national network, involving science research, arts and crafts. Rob Kesseler was invited to work with the teams of cellular and molecular scientists in the Instituto Ciencia Gulbenkian in Portugal.

Using a variety of microscopy techniques the cellular structures of Portuguese wild flora including a number of rare orchids, reveal complex patterns and structures. Micro-fine sections of the flower stems were stained to expose functional characteristics. Working at a higher magnification than is normally used for whole sections detailed large format images are constructed from up to 500 individual frames. The dazzling variety of structural pattern and colour will form the basis of a collection of designs to be applied to a new range of porcelain in collaboration with Vista Alegre.

Rob Kesseler

Kesseler has a fascinating profile which you can read here.

You might know of his photographs from the book: 

 Seeds: Time Capsules of Life, by Rob Kesseler and Wolfgang Stuppy, published by Papadakis Publisher

from book above.

I've mentioned Wolfgang Stuppy from the Millennium Seedbank on various blog posts at the Homage to the Seed blog. He and Kesseler have collaborated on two books to date.

On a more local note I recently met Susan Nelles who sent photos after telling me of her walks gathering seeds and pods and various places and organisations she is involved with. Its always a pleasure to meet others who share a passion for seeds and are happy walking around looking for seed treasure. 

That was one of the pleasures of when I was up north.... a number of people who came to the exhibition were hugely keen seed collectors and made of point of connecting which I was so delighted by.

Susan writes  "we saw these at Mt Glorious some time ago, whether someone had placed them like this..'twas in an obscure piece of the track..."

Susan: "These were lying under the tree near the seashore at Wellington Pt this morning".

So what have you picked up on your walks lately? 
In the past week I have taken my camera to have it fixed only to find it was a minor problem (wonderfu1) and taken my computer to the fix-it guys... with similar results. Nothing like finding things are fine... in fact the week just kept getting better as many small things were ticked off. 

Now I feel ready to get back to taking photos after this!

Have a good weekend won't you!