Curator Micheal Do (behind the excellent Casula Powerhouse show Soft Core) has curated this exhibition in response to the work of British botanist Sir Joseph Banks, who accompanied Lieutenant James Cook on the voyage of the HMS Endeavour from 1768-1771, and whose writings on foreign flora and fauna shaped many of the myths that the colonisation of Australia, the Pacific and New Zealand was built on.
In Do's words, the five artists he has selected – Daniel Boyd (Australia), Newell Harry (Aus), Fiona Pardington (New Zealand), Michael Parekowhai (NZ) and James Tylor (Aus) – "co-opt Colonial references and imagery to present a nuanced telling of the invisible, forces that have shaped our tongues, specifically, the language we use to describe, categorise and taxonomise nature."
These contemporary works will be presented alongside botanical illustrations by Sir Joseph Banks.