Three exhibitions, a talk and the lighting of a large tree cut down for our enjoyment. Who would ever want to go Christmas sale shopping when you can do any of these things instead?
Hiroshi Sugimoto: Still Life, Pace London
An exhibition of seventeen large-format photographs from the Japanese artist’s ongoing Diorama series that date from 1976 to 2012. Sugimoto works with media from natural history museum archives, turning them back into superficially naturalistic, wild-scapes. But beneath the surface, he is examining issues of artifice, history and preservation of nature. Interesting to find out exactly how he does it. Runs until 24th January.
Olympic Rainforest, 2012
Models and Metaphors Orchids and Primroses, Linnean Society, London, 2nd December, 6-7pm
The full title of this event is Models and Metaphors, Orchids and Primroses: When, Why and How is a Person like a Plant? Sounds like there will be lot going on, particularly interested in how the speaker, Jim Endersby, ties evening primroses to feminist utopias in the 20th Century. And it is free which is always nice.
Calypso bulbosa orchid remind you of anyone?
Kurt Jackson: River, Horniman Museum & Gardens
Chance to compare river vegetation through the artwork of this British artist who has done much to raise awareness of environmental issues. Runs until 25th January.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Natural History Museum
There is a plant category in amongst all the others, but images from it never seem to win the top prize. Some animal bias in the judging we think. When there’s so many amazing images everywhere on the web these days, it’s interesting to see which ones make this competition’s finalists. Usually ones where the photographer has had to participate in some adrenaline inducing sport or other life-threatening activity to achieve their shot. Runs until 30 August 2015.
Jan van der Greef / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014
Christmas tree lighting, Trafalgar Square, London: 4 December, 6pm
Since 1947 the Norwegians have been sending us a Norwegian Spruce to say thanks for the support during World War II. If access to the tree is allowed it’s a good chance for a spot of tree identification, just to check they sent the correct tree. Picea abies being a spruce will have needles, which unlike the flat ones you would find on a fir, tend to be square in cross-section and so easily tested by seeing if one rolls between your fingers. In addition, needles are singularly attached to the branch, and not in clusters like a pine. So that’s a spruce. How do you know it’s of the Norwegian type, well that’s a bit harder.
By Diliff (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
Picea abies var. abies, Norway spruce
