Blooming Britain: Gardening Through the Lens

Community gardening has been beautifully captured by artists Julie Henry and Debbie Bragg in a new outdoor photo exhibition that will be touring all four RHS gardens this summer.

Supported by the National Lottery, through Arts Council England, the tour is opening at RHS Garden Wisley, on 6 June.

Last year, Julie and Debbie visited post-industrial regions around the UK to photograph people and communities involved in gardening campaigns such as RHS Britain in Bloom and It's Your Neighbourhood.

The artists say, 'We were initially sceptical about photographing community gardening groups. We felt that communities didn't really exist any more. What we found when we visited various groups around the country blew us away. We found that community could exist in the most unlikely places, from a tower block to an alleyway, using gardening as a cohesive link to bind the community together and improve their environment."

Using a range of quirky photographic techniques, 'Blooming Britain' is a surreal and captivating wonderland of miniature gardeners and magnificent blooms and represents an anthropological exploration of gardening in the community.

The work also includes a sound-scape of the subjects talking about their gardens. Both the exhibition and artist Q&A sessions are FREE with your entry to the RHS gardens.

 
 

Article posted on 17 May 2011.

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