Comparative Herbarium

 

Throughout history, scientists, artists and nature enthusiasts have explored various ways of preserving and representing parts of the natural world that they found beautiful or interesting. Each of these techniques has its quirks, charms and problems. After the introduction of photography to the world of botany, for example, botanical illustrations kept playing an important role in identifying and sharing information about plant species, because both drawing and photography have their strengths and limitations. In Comparative Herbarium, I experimented with some of these techniques by trying to accurately represent Pelargonium Cucullatum, or Wild Malva, indigenous to South Africa, to see where the differences lie. This way I could explore different techniques as well as get a better understanding of representation of the natural world in both science and arts. I would like to thank the staff of the botanical garden of Stellenbosch for their help.