Mary Lennox | Fieldwork
Ruby Barber always works from direct observation of nature. Last July she visited Cordoba and, on the way, discovered the lavender and wheat fields of La Mancha. Is it possible to transfer that two-colour image, which reminds Barber of Ellsworth Kelly’s abstract paintings, and that visual and aromatic experience to a patio in Cordoba? This Australian artist proves that it is. A strong advocate of biomimicry, nature as the source of ideas and solutions to the problems of humanity, only here did she find the beauty she was seeking for FLORA.
“Fieldwork takes the audience to a Spanish summer landscape; a trip of the senses, an immersive experience and a minimalist homage to a specific place and time.
Fieldwork was inspired by our trip to Cordoba, during which we visited the iconic lavender fields of Brihuega. Every July, a sea of Lavendula stoechas bloom in full display, creating a swathe of purple monochrome that sends a sweet, calming scent into the air. Planted immediately adjacent to the Lavender fields are complementary fields of wheat that rustle gently in the breeze. The Lavender/Wheat duo is a classic union in European agriculture, and one that fully activates the senses.The colour combination is heady and brings to mind the poetic simplicity of American minimalist painters such as Ellsworth Kelly and his iconic two-colour abstractions.
The practice of fieldwork involves direct observation and gathering of raw data outside of a traditional workplace. Conducting fieldwork in the natural environment is deeply ingrained in Mary Lennox’s creative process. We invite our audience to experience the fields that inspired us for this installation and immerse themselves in an objective celebration of nature rather than a romantic imagining of a fictional landscape. Mary Lennox’s installation aims to present nature as veracity, not decoration, and endeavours to transport the visitor to the landscape where we conducted our study.
Alongside our recreation of the monochrome lavender and wheat fields, the site specific installation will include a hanging piece (Mary Lennox’s signature style) showcasing how a piece of design is directly inspired by nature.
This process, Biomimicry or bio-inspired design, involves the translation of knowledge obtained from the natural world into new applications and innovations. When using nature as inspiration we learn from a system that has developed resilience, adaptability and efficiency over countless millennia, not to mention that our planet that has organically created the most beautiful pieces of design ever made. Biomimicry is an extremely important mechanism for our future and goes far beyond aesthetics. This process needs to be the at the core of all innovation and we believe the implementation of repeated references to the natural world will provide inspiration for further strategies that may perhaps save our troubled planet”.
Ruby Barber (Mary Lennox)
