The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants - Hardcover

Stuppy, Wolfgang; Kesseler, Rob; Harley, Madeline

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1554075335 ISBN 13: 9781554075331

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2009

Synopsis

Science and art collaborate to reveal a stunning, even sensual, microscopic world.

Three landmark books -- Pollen, Seeds and Fruit -- were published in 2006 and 2008 to rave reviews: "breathtaking," "ravishing," "spectacular," "enlightening," "truly revelatory" and "beautiful almost beyond description." In The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants, the authors bring the best of these books together in one volume that is a fascinating union of art and science.

Visual artist Rob Kesseler uses special light techniques and scanning electron microscopy to create astonishing images of a variety of pollens, seeds and fruits. His razor-sharp cross sections reveal intricate interiors, pods, pouches, keys and other examples of botanical architecture and seed dispersal.

Seed morphologist Wolfgang Stuppy and palynologist Madeline Harley deftly explain the botanical purposes of the pollens, seeds and fruit, how they fulfill their missions and their roles in preserving the biodiversity of our planet. Literary references to plant reproduction are featured along with early botanical illustrations.

The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants is groundbreaking in its intimate examination of plant reproduction. It is an essential reference for artists, designers and photographers and will fascinate gardeners and general readers.

About this title

About the Author:

Wolfgang Stuppy is a seed morphologist for the Millennium Seed Bank at London's Royal Botanic Gardens.

Rob Kesseler is a visual arts professor and artist who works with London's Royal Botanic Gardens.

Madeline Harley, PhD, FLS, is head of the palynology unit at the Royal Botanic Gardens and is recognized internationally for her work in the study of pollen characteristics.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Introduction

Plants first conquered the Earth's landmasses an unimaginable six hundred million years ago. From the early spore-bearing plants that were similar to our mosses and ferns, it would be another two hundred and forty million years before the evolution of pollen and seeds, two of the most crucial innovations in the history of all life on our planet. Seed plants have continued to evolve for the past 360 million years. Many remarkable adaptations for ensuring their survival, which involve their flowers, pollen, seeds and fruits, have occurred, and their methods of sexual reproduction have been perfected. Previously, in a series of three books, we explored the science, natural history and aesthetic beauty of the private life of plants. The combined expertise of an artist (Rob Kesseler) and two scientists (Madeline Harley and Wolfgang Stuppy) led to Pollen - The Hidden Sexuality of Flowers, Seeds - Time Capsules of Life, and Fruit - Edible, Inedible, Incredible. The Bizarre and Incredible World of Plants draws on images of some of the most spectacularly hidden (without light and electron microscopy) but vital aspects in the life of plants hitherto been largely unknown outside the scientific community.

Art and Science
Prior to the second half of the 20th century there was a vital, shared passion and appreciation of the plant world in which thoughtful observers all played a part, including artists and artisans. Many serious amateurs contributed to, or challenged the work of early botanical scientists, who were frequently what we would now refer to as 'polymaths', 'scientists' being a rather cold, later 20th century term which has caused in people's minds an unrealistic rift between general powers of observation and thought, and how we later illustrate and record our observations.

Realising the untapped potential for working with scientific data from microscopic plant material, and to foster new audiences for the important work done at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we joined forces to bridge the gulf that had gradually developed between art and science.

Colour-coded messages
Colour in nature, in science and in art fulfils many different functions. Plants have evolved a sophisticated spectrum of colour-coded messages to attract animals to ensure the pollination of their flowers and the dispersal of their seeds. The scientist uses colour to facilitate discussions within the botanical scientific research community. Here, the artist, Rob Kesseler has used colour to enhance the beauty and expressiveness of high-magnification black-and-white scanning electron micrographs of pollen and seeds to engage a wider public audience. His choice of colours is a personal one and may relate to the original plant or be used to reveal functional characteristics of the specimen. It is used intuitively to create mesmerising images that lie somewhere between science and symbolism, sensual markers inviting further contact with unseen miracles of the natural world.

Our work results from an enthusiasm to communicate and express our shared passion and fascination for the beauty of sexual reproduction among flowering plants, which is revealed in all its splendour using methods and technologies not available until the late 20th century. We hope that we will continue to engage new audiences for the important research and conservation work in the plant sciences being carried out throughout the world. This includes the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and particularly the Millennium Seed Bank Project (MSBP), one of the largest international conservation initiatives in the world; much of the material illustrated in our books came from the collections of the MSBP.

Wolfgang Stuppy, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew -- Wakehurst Place, Millennium Seed Bank
Rob Kesseler, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London
Madeline Harley, Micromorphology Unit, Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
June 2009

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1554075335
• ISBN 13: 9781554075331
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144