[sidebar] For more information and to purchase tickets for Natural Discourse go to www.naturaldiscourse.org.[/sidebar]
‘Natural Discourse’ is an ongoing series of symposia, publications, and site-specific art installations that explore the connections among the disciplines of art, architecture, gardens and science—and juxtapose the ideas of scholars, writers, and artists who are engaged in new and exciting explorations that inform the way we live on the planet today.
The upcoming symposium will present ideas about landscape and ‘nature’ featuring the following speakers:
– Alice Miceli de Arujo, a Brazilian artist/photographer whose work confronts the environmental devastation brought on by human activity
– Robert Pogue Harrison, Rosina Pierotti Professor at Stanford University, offers a literary perspective on what gardening gives us
– Margaret Morton reveals the essence of our urge to create beauty in her photos of homeless people’s gardens.
– Mary Jo McConnell puts her energy into studying and depicting the way that birds build and curate environments.
– Roger Handgarter, Chancellor’s Professor of Biology at Indiana University, Bloomington, looks at the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which plants perceive and respond to environmental stimuli.
– Shirley Alexandra Watts, artist, principal of SA Watts Design, and founder of the ongoing Natural Discourse project: work that allows her to see the connections between many disciplines, bring thinkers from seemingly disparate professions to the table, and enjoy the public conversation that follows.
The first two symposia, held at the UC Botanical Garden, were among the very best days I’ve ever spent sitting and listening to others speak. This third symposium promises to be outstanding, with a group of speakers from around the country. The focus is less on gardens and more on art, with lots of inspiring ideas and images. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Richard Turner
Editor Emeritus, Pacific Horticulture Magazine
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