Bird's Eye View: Perspectives on the Art and Science of Ornithology
Presented as part of Melbourne Rare Book Week
- What
- TALK
- When
- General information
- Museum Theatre
- Tickets
A scientist, a historian and two artists chatter about birds in art and science including the history of museum science, rare ornithology books and taxonomy, and museum collections as artistic inspiration.
Panellists
Dr Karen Rowe
Curator of Birds, Museums Victoria
Dr. Karen Rowe is the Curator of Birds at the Museums Victoria Research Institute. She is a museum-based research ecologist specialising in using acoustic methods to document the diversity and distribution of animals, particularly birds, across landscapes. This work has included long-term monitoring of endangered species and addressing the impact of bushfires on bird communities. Her work actively focuses on using acoustic technologies to bring together land managers, landcare groups and community participants towards improved management and conservation outcomes for wildlife.
Rebecca Carland
Senior Curator, History of Collections & Scientific Art, Museums Victoria
Bec is a dynamic history curator with 18 years experience in collections, exhibitions, programs and publication within the museum sector. She collaborates across history, science and creative networks to keep historical practice energised and relevant. She strives to engage with and address the colonial legacy within museum practice and methodology. She is an advocate for the promotion of women in the sector through mentoring in the workplace and is energised by executive positions on various committees and boards.
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
Artists
Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison have been collaborating since 1999, making artists’ books, zines, collages, stories, prints, and drawings. Besotted still, it appears, with paper for its adaptable, foldable, cut-able, concealable, revealing nature, using an armoury of play, the poetic and familiar too, with the intention of luring you into their A(rtists’ books) to Z(ines).
Their most recently commission was by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) for Melbourne Now for which they created a pocket of restored eucalyptus forest habitat especially for the Grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), collaged from 100 pieces in the NGV collection.
Moderator
John Kean
John Kean was Art Advisor at Papunya Tula Artists Pty Ltd, (1977-79) inaugural Exhibition Coordinator at Tandanya: the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute (1989-92) Exhibition Coordinator at Fremantle Arts Centre (1993-96) Producer with Museum Victoria (1996-2010). John was the Thomas Ramsay Science and Humanities Fellow 2004, Museum Victoria and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (Art History) at University of Melbourne in 2020.
John Kean has published extensively on First Nations art and the representation of nature in Australian museums. His publications include: The art of science: remarkable natural history illustrations from Museum Victoria, 2013 and Dot Circle and Frame: the making of Papunya Tula art, 2023.
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