Prue MacDougall's feature exhibition at No 1 Parnell takes us on a walk through a forest guided by narrative threads, turning our watchful and whimsical gaze towards the innate power of trees. Utilising Greek Mythology, she is urges us to think about the essential roles that trees and forests play in our lives and psyches. 'Arbornauts Revisited' explores a mythical and complex interaction.
The serenity that comes from sitting beneath a tree on a pleasant afternoon or your racing heart beat felt in a dark forest at night are not random emotions. The trees are truly alive with more than we may prefer to believe. According to legend, the ability to inspire strong emotions was the gift of the dryads.
Prue has incorporated female deities into intaglio photopolymer prints dramatizing the intricate architecture of branch and root systems. Hopefully, visitors will leave the exhibition with a renewed sense of appreciation for both the beauty and complexity of these indispensable organisms.
