The ‘Fabric of Botany’ is a short 28-minute film of broadcast quality, documenting:

• myself, botanical artist and fabric designer Deborah Wace
• my Arts Residency on the North East Peninsula of Recherche Bay, Tasmania
• my 2017-18 Churchill Fellowship to study the early French historical botanical collections from Tasmania, held in herbaria in Europe; research that has enabled me to create a body of artwork for fabric

My presentation reveals visually rich cultural and historical material and selections of interviews; relevant to Australia’s botanical history, early French exploration and cross-cultural relationships.

Using art and music to help protect our cultural and historical landscape was the theme of my paper at the World Museum in Liverpool. Protection of, and advocacy for threatened wild places and plants formed the foundation and inspiration for my Churchill Fellowship; and for the body of artwork incorporated into the fabrics I create.

During my Churchill Fellowship study (2018) I was given access to the botanical specimens and print collections located in the Paris, Florence, and Kew herbariums, from came from the d’Entrecasteaux and Baudin expeditions to Tasmania.

Developing original contemporary cultural motifs for art and fabric design from my studies is an ongoing project.

The gardens, architecture, interviews and museum exhibitions all made this journey a fascinating experience. They were captured by Tasmanian Filmmaker, Joe Shemesh, who accompanied me to document this work and then created this film.