CATHERINE NELSON
KEW WAKEHURST
T Projects recently commissioned Australian artist Catherine Nelson to transform a massive building wrap for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Wakehurst mansion house.
Client
Artist
Project Team
Building restoration by DBR Limited, complete temporary works design package by Agile Design Consultancy Ltd, scaffolding by D&R GROUP Plc, Building wrap & artwork printing by Lavastar
Fabricator
Lavastar
Photography
Courtesy of the artist
The Elizabethan Mansion, built in 1571-1590, set in the heart of the gardens, requires an extensive roof restoration to preserve the Grade I listed building. The project is one the most ambitious renovation projects in it's recent history.
With building work expected to last over two years, the building wrap has been transformed into the largest public art installation in the UK – creating a visitor’s attraction in its own right. Measuring over 1550m2, the artwork is the equivalent of 25 double decker buses, wrapping around 3 sides of the Mansion.
Catherine Nelson spent days photographing Wakehurst’s spectacular collection of plants and trees to create the mammoth photo montage that is ‘Planet Wakehurst’.
Lorraine Lecourtois, Wakehurst’s Head of Public Programmes says:
"We have never embarked on a commission of such magnitude at Wakehurst before. Where some may have seen the hoarding as an eyesore, we viewed this site as a unique canvas, giving us the amazing opportunity to platform Catherine’s beautifully striking work in the UK for the first time, and for visitors a new perspective on the incredible range of plants we nurture at Wakehurst. We hope this will form a new life-affirming experience that will leave our visitors feeling hopeful about the important conservation research we undertake here and demonstrates our intention to preserve Wakehurst’s historic heart for generations to come."
T Projects led the commissioning of this unique and exciting large scale public artwork. We undertook a global open call to artists, and we were delighted to receive an incredible response from all over the world, including artists from Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and the USA.
CATHERINE NELSON
Catherine Nelson is an Australian artist who uses digital technology as her paintbrush to create landscape ‘paintings’ and animations.
After completing her art education in painting at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney Catherine quickly moved into the world of film and television. She created visual effects for films such as Moulin Rouge, Harry Potter, 300 and Australia. Her job as a visual effects artist has taken her around the world having lived in Milan, London, Rome, Reykjavik, Bratislava, Brussels and Australia. In 2008 she started her own art studio and has since dedicated her time fully to creating her art.
When I embraced the medium of photography, I felt that taking a picture that represented only what was within the frame of the lens wasn't expressing my personal and inner experience of the world around me. With the eye and training of a painter and with years of experience in film visual effects behind me, I began to take my photos to another level.
Catherine has exhibited in numerous galleries and museums and her work is held in institutional, corporate and private collections around the world.
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