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Uploaded 24/06/02
‘The Banksias: Watercolours’
‘The Banksias: Watercolours’, by Celia Rosser
at the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne (5 April—30 June
2002) marks the publication of Volume III of The Banksias by Rosser
and Alex George. The publication marks the completion of a 25-year-old
project at Monash University, Melbourne on which Celia Rosser worked
exclusively.
The exhibition displays the product of this work:
76 superbly detailed, life-sized watercolours documenting all known
species of banksias as well as preliminary sketches. Rosser is recognised
as one of the leading botanical artists in the world, a judgement
that was made official when she was awarded the Linnaeus Society
Medal in London in 1997. Her banksia career started modestly in
1961 when she was 30, expecting her fourth child. With a carload
of four small children she and a friend became bogged on a sandy
road in the Victorian bush, near Orbost. While waiting for a tractor
to rescue them, she happened upon a Banksia serrata. She was immediately
aware of the significance of her find – this was one of four
banksias discovered by Sir Joseph Banks in 1770 in Botany Bay. Four
decades later she still marvels at their beauty, finding in their
rugged, woody appearance an image that typifies Australia. She has
just documented her 77th species of banksia. Banksias are a very
ancient plant; fossil remains suggest that they are between 40 and
50 million years old. They are best known for their spectacular
blooms; in fact some species are under threat since they have been
exploited for the cut flower industry. Certain species, however,
are now cultivated commercially to reduce the pressure on wild populations.
Botanical painting in Australia dates back to Captain James Cook’s
voyage of discovery in 1768. He had with him a team of naturalists
led by Joseph Banks. Banks, then aged 25, was of independent means
and contributed the vast sum of £10,000 towards the trip. The achievements
of the explorers was remarkable. They gathered, identified and documented
30,000 specimens; 1,400 species were new to science. Botany Bay
was in fact named in response to the incredible number of new plants
found. The Natural History Museum in London houses the collection.
The Banksias, presently on show in Melbourne, form a superb three-volume
set. The first two have so far been presented to the Queen by the
Australian government. They are the products of many field trips,
organised by botanist Alex George who travelled with Rosser to collect
the specimens. This is a collaborative project where artist and
botanist strive for the most accurate scientific rendition of each
species.
George organised most of these field trips with his comprehensive
knowledge of location, and flowering and fruiting times of plants.
Many banksia species are common and easily located whilst others
are found in remote and almost inaccessible areas. One of these
trips involved collecting, with appropriate permission, the rare
and endangered Banksia oligantha from a remote Aboriginal sacred
site. During these trips, George and Rosser selected aesthetically
pleasing specimens that displayed the major stages of growth,
flower and fruiting. Rosser made colour notes and pencil drawings
documenting the myriad colours of flowers and plants, later to
be the basis of the long and difficult process of building her
watercolours, wash upon wash, until the final paintings were completed.1
The images in the three volumes, bound in green leather, are painted
on Arches rag paper. The plates were reproduced with offset lithography
to the exact dimensions of the life-size watercolours; the trimmed
page 77 x 55 cms. The edition for Volumes I (1981) and Volume II,
(1988) was 730 books and 100 portfolios. Volume III comprises 530
books and 300 loose-leaf portfolios. Reproduced to the very highest
standard they combine scientific accuracy and aesthetic considerations.
It is the first time that an entire genus has been painted and reproduced,
securing Celia Rosser's position as a botanical artist of international
standing.
Reference
1. The Banksias, Monash University in association with Nokomis Publications,
Melbourne, 2002.
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