Paradise Lost - Daniel Solander's Legacy

Paradise Lost – Daniel Solander’s Legacy

A touring exhibition from Solander Gallery and project partner Embassy of Sweden in Canberra, Paradise Lost is a group exhibition to commemorate the contribution naturalist Daniel Solander made to New Zealand’s history. The ten artists selected each bring a unique vision to this historical event and collectively put flesh to many of Daniel Solander’s facets, not least of which are his scientific credentials in botany, his cross-cultural awareness and his enthusiasm for the preservation of the unique species of the natural world.

Participating artists are, John Pusateri (Auckland), Alexis Neal (Auckland) Dagmar Dyck (Auckland), John McLean (New Plymouth), Tabatha Forbes (New Plymouth), Michel Tuffery (Wellington), Sharnae Beardsley (Christchurch), Jo Ogier (Christchurch), Lynn Taylor (Dunedin) and Jenna Packer (Dunedin). Scientist Joseph Banks, employed Daniel Solander, a Swedish botanist and together they collected hundreds of plant species as the Endeavour circumnavigated New Zealand 1769. As paper was in short supply in 1760’s England, Banks and Solander bought printers proof of Milton’s book Paradise Lost and it was pages from this work that were used to press and dry the first European collections of New Zealand plants. Solander spent a substantial amount of time in Totaranui (Queen Charlotte Sound), Marlborough.

Image (detail): Jenna Packer, What Is This Tree of Knowledge - Do We Not Also Have Trees? 2018, acrylic on board