Visual Arts Exhibition Review – Brian Rope
‘illuminate
’25 - Friends of the Gardens Photographic Group
Australian
National Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre Gallery
21
November – 14 December 2025
Exhibitions in the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) Visitor Centre Gallery explore the Australian environment through diverse creative forms. This annual exhibition is of photographic artworks, using light to illuminate the subjects in a variety of ways.
As always the standard of the works in this annual exhibition is high – technically and creatively eye catching. Generally, the imagery is what we expect in nature exhibitions – focussed absolutely on nature with no non-nature intrusions, fauna and flora in their natural environment, in the correct colours of the subjects, and capturing the essence of nature so highly valued by people all over the world. There are, however, a few exceptions and that is fine in my view. All the images entered in the competition associated with this event were required to have been taken in the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG), A small number not entered in the competition did not have to be ANBG subjects; but may well also have been.
There are portraits of native plants, close-up images of Australian flowers, birds and insects, and intimate landscapes to be seen in the gardens.
This year’s judges selected two works by Pam Rooney for awards. One of them Bush Dialogue: Tracks and tunnels of the scribbly gum moth larvae won the Fauna category Award. This composite of five vertical images most successfully used selections of those wonderful scribbly patterns that we all enjoy seeing in the surfaces of gum trees. The well-balanced composition is Rooney’s own artwork created from the natural artworks that are the tracks and tunnels. Another member of the Gardens Photographic Group, Karen Neufeld, was Runner-Up in the Fauna category with her image of a masked bee, titled Bubbling Bee.
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| Pam Rooney – Bush Dialogue |
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| Karin.Neufeld - Bubbling Bee |
A
work by Narelle Aldridge Dew drops in the desert was Highly
Commended in the David Cox Memorial Award which honours and celebrate the contribution made to the
Photographic Group’s activities by the late David Cox. The same artwork was
also the Rangers’ Choice. The rangers at ANBG are experienced educators who specialise
in bringing the stories of the Gardens to life.
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| Narelle Aldridge – Dew drops in the desert |
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| Ben Harvey - Banksy |
A work by Mohamed Rageeb titled Through the Dragon’s Eye is most eye-catching. A close up of the dragon’s colourful eye surrounded by delightful shapes and patterns of the creature’s body surface stopped me in my tracks and commanded me to use my own eyes and look into the dragon’s.
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| Mohamed Rageeb - Through the Dragon’s Eye |
Simone Slater’s work Seven! is another artwork most visitors will spend time with. It doesn’t take a long time to work out the title. On a Xerochrysum flowering plant native to Australia, there are variegated Adonis ladybirds. How many do you think there might be?
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| Simone Slater – Seven |
Another
Simone Slater piece Behind the Wire was also different. A flower
in bloom, more or less framed through a section of wire fencing, completely
captured my attention. I found myself wondering whether real frames might be
created from wire to use instead of displaying images such as this in
traditional black timber frames. Perhaps, someone reading this who has the
necessary skills might like to have a go at doing what I have suggested?
This is an exhibition well worth visiting if you can - to see all the artworks, not just the ones I have shown and/or spoken about here. You would also have an opportunity to pick up some delightful Christmas gifts for friends or family whilst you are there.
This review is also available on the author's blog here.
