"Habitat & Location" is a series comprised of seven handwoven Jacquard pieces in cotton and linen with silk brocade text. Each plant image is drawn from a specific 135 year-old plant specimen from the historic John Macoun Collection at the University of Calgary Herbarium. The text in each piece reproduces the handwritten notation produced at the time of collection - likely by Macoun's assistant William Spreadborough - to indicate habitat and location. I was drawn to these lines in particular as they indicate a subjective moment where the collector had to locate himself in Canada's first national park with a specific plant specimen he had now cut or uprooted.
Each piece measures 66 x 46 cm.
I am grateful to the Alberta Native Plant Council and Bonita Smith at the University of Calgary for providing access to the specimens. The work was produced with the support of the Alberta University of the Arts.