‘illuminate ’25

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.

Pam Rooney – Bush Dialogue

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.

Narelle Aldridge – Dew drops in the desert

Amongst the works which were “different” was Ben Harvey’s cleverly titled Banksy. The image is a black and white monochrome, so we do not see the colours of the bird perched on a banksia. But the detail in the print is excellent and provides plenty to be examined, making the artwork successful and most suitable for display in a modern home.

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.

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?

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.

illuminate ‘24

Photography | Brian Rope

illuminate ‘24 | Friends Photographic Group

ANBG Visitor Centre Gallery | 28 November – 15 December 2024

Exhibitions staged in the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) Visitor Centre Gallery seek to explore the Australian environment through a range of creative artforms. illuminate ‘24 is the 11th annual exhibition by the Friends of the ANBG Photographic Group.

Most of the exhibits were judged for the David Cox memorial awards in a Flora category with " Grevillea" as the chosen species and a Fauna category. Canberra Times photographer Karleen Minney and I were invited to select three winners in each category (authors were not identified to us until after we had made our decisions.) 

We looked for artworks that stood out for us, distinguishing them from an overall high-quality selection of images displaying the wonderful native flora and diverse fauna, mostly with abundantly rich colour.

The Fauna Award went to Simone Slater for a delightful artwork titled Two’s company. It is a simply delightful montage of six images all featuring the same fauna – a variegated (or spotted amber) ladybug generally loved for its cuteness. Here are just three of the images. Go and see the exhibition if you can, to enjoy the complete montage.

     Two’s company 1 © Simone Slater

Two’s company 4 © Simone Slater

Two’s company 5 © Simone Slater

Slaters’ excellent photographic skills are very much evident in this work.

Second in the fauna category was Kerry Boden’s The Circular Showdown featuring a very different type of fauna – Gippsland Water Dragons. The title is spot on. The ANBG website tells us that water dragons are fast runners and strong climbers, who will quickly disappear into the bushes when scared, but if you are quiet and patient you may see them communicating to each other with little arm-waving movements. These two are communicating with each other in a very different way – the dust is flying as they circle around chasing each other. Boden has captured the event most effectively.

The Circular Showdown © Kerry Boden

Third in fauna category was Pink petals and native wings by Debbie Howard. The composition of this shot and the rich complementary colours in it draw the eye. The circular soft focus yellow shape in the background (presumably the centre of another flower) could almost be the sun. The native Halictidae lasioglossum bee can be clearly seen and is positioned well in the composition.

Pink petals and native wings © Debbie Howard

The Flora (Grevillea) Award also went to Simone Slater. Washed Out is a monochrome image with spectacular detail, both of the Grevillea lanigera (also known as a Woolly grevillea) and of the water droplets on its surface. It stands out both because it is monochrome and because of those details. The composition is also unusual with the main subject being “attached” to the top left corner of the image and the remainder being shades of grey and black. All of that combines to create an artwork that stands out.

Washed Out © Simone Slater

Second in the Flora (Grevillea) award was given to The critically endangered Tumut Grevillea with pollinator, White-naped Honeyeater. This image by artist Pam Rooney includes fauna with the flora. The honeyeater has been captured in a splendid position performing its important role as a pollinator. One eye seems to be looking directly at the camera’s lens.

The critically endangered Tumut Grevillea with pollinator, White-naped Honeyeater © Pam Rooney

The third placegetter in Flora (Grevillea) was Impression, Grevillea 'Coconut Ice'. Fanny Karouta-Manasse, unlike most other exhibitors, is showing an image which has not gone in close on some detailed section of the flora. Rather, this is an image of a largish area of a very hardy Grevillea before a background of trees. What also makes it stand out from the crowd is that it has a look and feel reminiscent of a watercolour painting. The word “impression” in the title fits the image perfectly.

Impression, Grevillea 'Coconut Ice' © Fanny Karouta-Manasse

The exhibition successfully displays, in print, numerous aspects of Australia’s beautiful natural environment as seen through the lenses of the exhibitors’ cameras.

All the prints are worthy of close examination, and I encourage readers to visit and see for themselves if possible.

This review is also available on the author's blog here.