Artist:
Ray Besserdin
A stroll in the Australian Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, part 3/3. Wandering north by east we pass a sculptured rockpool waterway, to landscapes characterised by ponds and rivers, home to water birds like the not so common Eurasian Coot. These waters are rimmed by contrasting arid landscapes dominated by tough Mallee flora over the rise called Howson Hill, festooned with flowers busily attended by all manner of insect pollinators. Strolling on to the northwest, the gardens transform into dry, sandy, coastal environs where only hardy bushes like Melaleuca bent by salt winds, tough little succulents and tiny flowers of bizarre structure like Goodenia survive. Here the iconic symbol of these three Australian Botanic Garden series, Xerochrysum brachiatum - the Paper Daisies - hold their ground around Seaside. Sculptured from Hahnemuhle (Germany) 300gsm cotton NOT, Arches (France) 310gsm cotton hot-pressed mould made papers and a variety of handmade Hemp, Flax and Kozo (Mulberry) papers from Awagami (Japan) and other Asian sources, some as light as 4gsm. Single colour ink tint and background wash.Winner: Silver Medal for Directors Choice, Professional Artists Concours, Mondial Art Academia, 2019, FranceSecond Place, Botanicals Exhibition - The Art Room Contemporary Gallery, 2019
Other Works by Ray Besserdin
Acknowledgment of traditional owners.
We would like to pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land on which our building stands, their leaders, past, present and emerging.