[MPWG] Economic Plants & Pollinators Project

[Olivia Kwong]

If you're interested in this project, see the contact info at the end of 
this post.

---- Forwarded Message ----

The objective of the Economic Plant and Pollinator series in progress is
to show the importance of plants and their pollinators in numerous ways. I
use the term economic to encompass food, spice/herb and fodder including
plant resins, timber or medicinal.

First I wish show the plant and pollinator utilizing pre-20th century
illustration with a graphite and/or color pencil drawing and a watercolor
painting.
Second, to create storyboards of the history, personal sketches and
photographs assembled during research.
Third, to complete a narrative story explaining information uncovered
during the research.

I identified 275 plants during research. In June 2006 I began the daunting
task of selecting 36 plants for the series utilizing seven sources. My
thought process in selection:

Encompass both longitude and latitude around the world
Plant origin reflecting distribution
Available pollination and seed dispersal research
Diversity in pollination i.e. Bee, Bat, Butterfly, Moth, Beetle, Bird,
Fly, Water or Wind
Diversity in plant families including systematics
Human history including use, cultivation or breeding.

I am discovering economic plants most people choose as important are bee
pollinated. In addition, the field or greenhouse has bees introduced to
overpopulate the crop. This overpopulation is sometimes due to use of an
unnatural pollinator where my focus is to depict natural/native. Questions
during research include:

What plant takes full circle, Environment, Plant, Pollinator, Seed
disperser, Man?
Is the pollinator a generalist, specialist or a naturally evolved shift
from environmental pressures?
If field observation arrives at different pollinators are they from the
same tribe or is the flower morphology better suited to one pollinator
Does man still rely on native pollinators to produce mass quantities,
overpopulate the crop or hand pollinate

In addition to the overwhelming quantity of bee plants the choices lack
butterfly pollinators. As for the pictorial portion of the series, I
conclude the need to depict pollinators separately unless there is an
active association.

To find simplicity through this complication I see two avenues that may
appeal to the public. One is economics and the other distribution by man.

Economically speaking prehistoric civilizations began cultivating plants.
Many cultivation practices of old are still in use today. Many plant parts
or produced items were a form of currency i.e. vanilla and chocolate.

Distribution is important in that I may be able to tie native people's
cultivation practices to modern day. Continental drift theory and
exploration play a role in distribution.

With a good portion of research under belt the list forms each week. To
begin to show these efforts I will post completed work on my website
www.interactionart.com  If you would like to be a part of this project
i.e. show location, expert or monetary please contact
debra at interactionart.com

Have a great day,
Debra Jane Carey
Interaction Art
941-746-8625
www.interactionart.com
Plant-animal interactions with pre-20th century techniques. Offering
original, limited edition reproduction and cards.