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January Issue 2006
Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, Features Illustrations by Margaret Mee
Discover the beauty of exotic plant species of the Amazon through the watercolor illustrations of botanist Margaret Mee in the exhibition, The Flowering Amazon: Margaret Mee Paintings from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on view in the Garden and Balcony Galleries at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, from Jan. 13 through Apr. 2, 2006.
With the exhibition the Gibbes Museum of Art
bridges the boundaries of art, science and conservation through
the luminous botanical art and acute scientific observations of
Margaret Mee (British, 1909 - 1988). On loan from The Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, this exhibition features 30 spectacular watercolor
drawings and showcases field sketches, diaries and native Brazilian
artifacts from Mee's Amazonian expeditions, as well as specimens
from the Kew Herbarium.
Mee's exquisite paintings of orchids, bromeliads and other Amazonian
plants have been widely praised for both their striking artistic
beauty and their scientific clarity. Her work combines meticulous
observation and detailed scientific accuracy with elegant composition
and confident rendering of plant structure.
Mee, considered the premier female explorer of the Amazonian rainforest, first began her Amazonian journeys in 1956 at the age of 47 and completed 15 expeditions over the course of three decades. A supremely gifted artist, dedicated botanist and intrepid explorer, Mee observed and painted native plants in their natural habitat and discovered several previously unknown species that now bear her name.
Paddling long distances in small, dugout canoes with a single native guide, Mee would often live for weeks with the Tucano people, sharing their food and garnering information about the trees and plants she encountered on her journeys. Scientifically, no equivalent record of Amazonian plants has ever been created. Mee's remarkable watercolors include the only record of certain plants, many of which may now be extinct.
This exhibition was made possible through the generous support of The Audubon Gallery: A Joel Oppenheimer Company and Laura D. and Stephen F. Gates. Media support for the exhibition is provided by Channel 5, WCSC.
The Museum is also presenting the exhibit, Ernest Hemingway and Walker Evans: Three Weeks in Cuba, 1933, on view through Feb. 26, 2006. A friendship between Walker Evans (1903-1975) and Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) began in Havana, Cuba in May 1933. The three weeks they spent together left a lasting impression on both men. The exhibit pairs never-before-exhibited photographs by Evans with newly discovered Hemingway letters and personal items. The exhibition investigates the relationship between these two men and animates the world in which Evans and Hemingway lived, the events they experienced together and the impact each had on the other's creative style.
Also on view at the Gibbes through May 7, 2006, is the exhibit, Leaving the Lowcountry: Charleston Renaissance Artists on the Road. Between the two World Wars, Charleston experienced an artistic and cultural reawakening known today as the Charleston Renaissance. Centered on the work of a small enclave of resident artists, this period engendered pride among Charlestonians and brought national attention to the rich cultural and architectural heritage of the city. To further expand their artistic horizons, many of the Charleston Renaissance artists traveled to exotic locations. The exhibition showcases works of art produced during journeys to Japan, Mexico, France and a number of other exotic locations.
For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Museum at 843/722-2706 or at (www.gibbesmuesum.org).
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