In this exhibition, Graphic Studio Dublin unveils 100 handmade fine art prints by 100 artists from Ireland and overseas. Each artist has produced an edition of 100 prints. This ambitious project has brought together artists from Ireland – North and South, alongside artists from Finland, Germany, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden and United Kingdom. In approaching their work,
the participating artists were asked to consider all aspects of the National Botanic Gardens: the 170,000 different species of cultivated forms within the collection, the natural beauty of the Gardens, their renowned architectural features like the spectacular Curvilinear Range of Glasshouses and the Palm House, and their continuing scientific and botanical research work. The result is an exceptional exhibition of fine art prints ranging from the figurative – beautiful botanical records, to the conceptual – exploring the shared space between the artist and the natural world. In their different and individual ways the artists have been inspired by and have paid tribute to the richness and diversity of the natural world and to the work of a great institution, an institution which is filled with treasure, and which is itself one of Ireland’s national treasures, the National Botanic Gardens. Plant collecting and printmaking share a similar characteristic insofar as the propagation of plants mirrors the multiplicity of an edition of prints. In its turn, this shared characteristic facilitates access to people for their enjoyment and inspiration. In this spirit, all the participating artists have agreed to allow their respective works to be purchased at the unusually affordable price of €100 each. This is an opportunity for all those who appreciate art and botany to acquire an original work of art at a modest price, in the knowledge that a percentage of the proceeds will go to support Graphic Studio Dublin.
