nz4920 (code 142)
sara cooper
This installation created by artist Sara Cooper is inspired by Middlesbrough’s natural heritage and the town’s links to the Arts & Craft movement - in its use of plant forms and floral motifs.
Working with botanist Dave Barlow and Teesside Archives’ Christine Corbett, a creative plant survey of the area resulted in 123 species being identified.
One that caught our attention in Exchange Square was Arabidopsis Thaliana, or Thale Cress which is a member of the brassica family commonly found in walls, car parks and pavements.
Drawings of this plant using plant-based ink pay homage to the role women played in the development of botanical art and science and are the basis of the border pattern. Thale Cress was recently found by medical researchers to have significant potential in the treatment of breast cancer.
Sara Cooper is an artist who lives and works in the North East of England. Her practice encompasses drawings, print, film and objects; often developed collaboratively in response to natural heritage and related social histories presented as collections or interventions.