Liz Orton Herbarium of Exinction (2020) This handmade concertina book has been created by Liz Orton especially for Seedscapes. The book features her own photographs alongside modified scans of extinct and endangered species, chosen from the digital archive at Kew Herbarium. A herbarium is a reference collection of dried specimens: a library of plants. The specimens come from all over the world, and date back as far as 1840. Extinction is a part of evolution, but the current loss of plant species is estimated at 500 times the natural rate. Orton says, “It is important to acknowledge that botanic archives are rooted in colonial histories. I also wanted to highlight acts of care by individuals and institutions, and show how people can intervene in the future of plants”.
About the artist Liz Orton is Mead Fellow at the University of the Arts London. She is the recipient of a Wellcome Trust Arts Award to investigate the social and cultural aspects of medical imaging. She was selected for ‘Next Generation: Future Greats’ by Aesthetica magazine, and has exhibited in group shows including Stour Space, London; Photofusion, London; and Guernsey Photo Festival. Her recent body of work, A Handful of Soil for the Whole Horizon, was shortlisted for the MACK Photography Prize 2016 and was exhibited at the Photographers’ Gallery, London. www.lizorton.co.uk © Impressions Gallery, 2020