Keryn Fountain - Rare (Calocephalus citreus, Lemon beauty heads)

Keryn Fountain
Rare (Calocephalus citreus, Lemon beauty heads)

photograph

40 x 40cm

1/25

Artist's Statement
The word ‘Rare’ has been created from spent and disintegrating grasses to highlight the often-unseen beauty in the ordinary, but also to draw attention to the biological status of the beautiful small herbaceous grassland plant Calocephalus citreus commonly called Lemon Beauty Heads. I grow this plant in my garden as a horticultural specimen, but in Tasmania it is only known in nine locations in the south-east. Grasslands are a critical and diverse ecosystem important for biodiversity. These open spaces are often underappreciated and seen as more useful converted to farmland or roads. Existing at the edges of human progress populations of Calocephalus are vulnerable in nature without protection.  

This work was submitted by the artist as part of Wild Island's Threatened Species Project. The artist has donated proceeds from the sale of this work to organisations directly working in species support. In 2022 these organisations are Friends of The Orford Bird Sanctuary and the Miena Cider Gum Recovery Program.

Threatened Species Project, 5 July - 31 August, 2022
A  WILD ISLAND EXHIBITION RAISING AWARENESS OF TASMANIA'S THREATENED SPECIES
There are 683 species of plants and animals, including insects and other invertebrates, on Tasmania's Threatened Species List. Yes, there are the iconic ones so many people know about, but there are numerous species that are tiny, little known or ‘less attractive’, which are no less important to our rich and varied eco-system. This new exhibition will expand our understanding of the range & diversity of threatened species and educate of their plight. It also aims to raise much needed funds to go towards their support.