‘Aliens 1992’ is the second of three artworks from the ‘Aliens’ series, a collaboration between Townsend and Sally Whyman, the curator of vascular plants at the Welsh National Herbarium, National Museum Cardiff. (Please see Artwork 1 for the full project description)
‘Aliens 1992’ is based on the digitally scanned image of a common rhododendron specimen (Rhododendron ponticum) from the Welsh National Herbarium, collected in Margam Country Park by Botanical Photographer, Peter Russell and Senior Curatorial Assistant, Anthony D. Tipper in 1992. R. ponticum is native to countries in the western and eastern Mediterranean such as Spain, Portugal and Turkey and also occurs eastwards through Asia into China. It was first introduced to Britain as an ornamental shrub in 1763 and became especially popular on country estates in Victorian times. R. ponticum produces suckers from its root and an abundance of seeds, enabling it to out compete native plants. It is now listed as an invasive species under schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
In the ‘Aliens’ series, Townsend uses the ancient medium of beeswax and botanical sculpting techniques in an innovative and contemporary way, telling stories of science and discovery. Townsend has developed the highest skill in this historic craft and has been recognised as a master in her field. The ‘Aliens’ collaboration explores the sharing of this expert knowledge across disciplines, bringing the art of the past and significant natural history collections to life for a modern audience.