One area that my work will undoubtedly fall into, but I hadn’t considered was art with words, as the names of the plants themselves are just as crucial as their imagery – despite being much less accessible (the majority of the plants on my list have names in latin only).
In a tutorial last week, the name Alec Finlay was mentioned to me, as in 2002, he created Mesostic Plant Labels – a form of acrostic poem based on the names of different plants, using the distinctive style of botanical labels (the labels which are used to label plants in botanical gardens) as the format.
As you can see from the examples above, Finlay used the basic graphic imagery of the label, using the same type-face, materials and colours, but changed the layout to suit his own needs. The use of the traditional format of the botanical labels is a very interesting and clever one, as it creates an instant link for the audience between the subject and his poem – using semiotics to ground the project. This is something that I would like to use in my project, as instead of handwriting the labels of the plants (as is standard practice with scientific and botanical illustrations), the use of this style of label will subconsciously reinforce to the audience that this is a living plant – not just the subject of a botanical illustration. This also creates space for them to be used as labels when exhibiting the illustrations:
The above image is an idea or example of how the botanical labels could be utilised in an exhibition scenario – drawing the attention of the audience to the plant itself rather than the illustration – which is the overall aim of my project.
I have found a company who produces the labels: Sheen Botanical Labels and they detail a little of the process and materials used in producing them, which provides me with a starting point and something to think about – whether it is viable to make these labels as they are normally, or not.
Sources:
Finlay, A. (2002) Oat Seed Mesostic Poem. [Engraved Plastic] Available at: https://www.alecfinlay.com/mesostic-plant-labels (accessed: 10 October 2021)
Finlay, A. (2002) Beech Mesostic Poem. [Engraved Plastic] Available at: https://www.alecfinlay.com/mesostic-plant-labels (accessed: 10 October 2021)
Sheen Botanical Labels (2002) Products. Available at: https://sheenbotanicallabels.co.uk (accessed: 10 October 2021)
