Dublin in 8 Photos

I know how she feels!!
I'm finally catching up with some sleep after very early flight to Dublin on Friday and very late return on Tuesday followed by more cauliflower cloning training.
I was collected from the airport in Dublin and taken to Malahide for 2nd breakfast (Hobbit style) having had my first at 5am! Great to catch up with Noeleen, Emer and Christine - thanks to contacts had a privileged peak in the private areas of the gardens at Malahide Castle with their amazing collection of Australasian plants - a lot that wouldn't survive in the UK

I couldn't resist these rusty fences! Then off to Kinsealy for a very useful look around the lab and finally to Glasnevin Botanic Gardens which was the venue for the conference.
I had a bit of time to look around Dublin, visiting Hugh Lane Art Gallery - discovering artists new to me like Louis le Brocquy (more in another post) . Even though I'm not a big fan of Francis Bacon's work, the reconstruction of his studio and the description and records of the painstaking work involved was absolutely fascinating as were the insights into his working methods.
After lunch in the deli at Avoca I made my way to the National Museum of Archeology, snapping doors as I went( although they're not crumbly enough for my taste!). So many items had been preserved in bogs (including textiles) - the prehistoric gold, found in hoards was jaw-dropping, a similar experience to seeing the masks from Mycenae. Photos were, understandably, not allowed but I didn't think they'd mind me taking a picture of the stairs.
After a brief visit to the Irish Museum of Modern Art ( spending some time with a lovely couple of Rothkos, part of an exhibition linked to composer Morton Feldman) , it was time to switch to botanical congress mode.
The conference was opened by the Taoiseach (equivalent of prime minister) and we had a reception in the Castle state apartments( I would have been a bit worried about red wine on the beautiful carpets! )
I'd had to change my flight as the session I was speaking in was moved. Just time to give my presentation and head home.
PS - Best meal I had was at the Mermaid Cafe with free entertainment observing what was going on at the stage door of Olympia Theatre nearby.

Art Meets Science

I've been involved in a small way in this new exhibition showcasing the work of the Millennium SeedBank , contributing some plant cultures in jars and some orchid seeds. I particularly like these sculptures made in willow by artist Tom Hare of seeds. Five have been installed so far and five more will be crafted on site over the summer ( with a chance to join in! )

In the Nash conservatory,three giant 3 metre long fibre glass devil claw seed pod sculptures by Tony Gibas hang from the ceiling. As a film set designer, Tony also made the mock growth room where some of my plants are displayed.

The exhibition also features some of the amazing coloured electron micrographs by Rob Kesseler . A few years ago there was an exhibition of his pictures of pollen, hugely blown up (shown below) I loved the idea of the trees and gardens showing through the images and it started me off thinking about how I could combine images in Photoshop and use transparency in my own work.

Art v. Science?

There's a wonderful lesson in philosophy on Robin's blog that has really got me thinking:

"a person can be good at many things. We are all multi-faceted, and it's the constraints of society that often tell us to only do one thing"

I'm thinking in particular of the supposed gulf between art and science, a gap in understanding that I attempt to bridge every day. At school, I was good at both art and science and was lucky enough to be able to do both at 'A' level ( with a bit of leverage on my chemistry teacher who was devising the timetable). My art tutor wanted me to go to art college but I decided in the end to study Botany at university as I could continue to paint and draw as a hobby but it wouldn't have worked the other way round. It was a decision I've never regretted and I have built my career in science while continuing to develop my artistic skills.

Creativity is not restricted to the art field - it is essential in my job to devise new ways to grow plants in the lab for research and conservation. 'What if.... ' is a frequent phrase and with limited resources we have to be imaginative in approach. Likewise, attention to detail, planning, analysis ,observational skills and putting the hours in are just as relevant in my art work as in my day job.

Sometimes it seems that both the science and art worlds like to maintain a sense of mystery and arrogance and both are often poor in promoting understanding of what they do.

So for a change, I'll share some creative projects from my science life.

This insignificant little plant is the subject of several high-impact scientific papers in the field of evolutionary biology

Lovely swirly root patterns here!

This little cauliflower is part of a series of simple experiments I'm devising for schools - so far both teachers and children are excited about these practicals

And this is my creative work space!