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Press release
Artist
Siobhan Healy presents ‘Ghost orchids’
Exhibition presented in the Blaschka Gallery, Harvard Museum of Natural History, USA.
2nd December 2011- 4th March 2012.
Scottish artist Siobhan Healy has created a subtle and thought provoking artwork
that is inspired by the rare british wild flower- the Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum). The Orchid is
depicted in transient and ethereal clear glass. The intention is to encourage the viewer to reflect on the potential loss
of this fragile species.
Healy is an artist who specialises in glass work relating to rare species of wild plants. The idea of preserving and documenting plants permeates her work.The ghost orchid is an evocative emblem of the 1 in 5 of UK wild flowers that are threatened
with extinction. The Ghost orchid is the most mysterious wildflower in Britain, the strangest, the rarest,
and it was declared extinct during an absence of 23 years. But like a wandering spectre, the ghost orchid
has reappeared in the UK. Its sighting, initially kept a close secret, has electrified the British
botanical community.
The ‘Ghost Orchid Declaration’
is a report from Plantlife, which looks at the key issues affecting wild plant conservation and offers challenging solutions.
It is a call to arms to governments, Members of Parliament, conservation organisations and the general public to ensure that
we do not lose any more of our irreplaceable flora.
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