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Donna Ruff: Terra Incognita
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Explore the relationship between Charles Deering and botanist John Kunkel Small with the works of Miami-based artist Donna Ruff. On display through August 31, Ruff's solo exhibition Terra Incognita features a series of large silkscreens based on Small’s own photographs of specimens taken on and around the Deering Estate grounds. These large silkscreens are rendered on handmade Bhutanese bark paper, known for being sustainable and its raw sienna hue. The exhibition also includes smaller, more intimate prints on board made from the same paper.
While conducting research into Small's time exploring South Florida's wilderness, Ruff visited the New York Botanical Garden where she unearthed twenty-eight watercolors of rare flowering plants by artist Mary Eaton, illustrated during Eaton's expeditions with Small. These illustrations are included in a series of handmade books created by Ruff for the exhibition. The books celebrate the artistry of early botanical drawings as both a tool for documenting and an art form.
The exhibition's title,Terra Incognita, comes from one of Small's early observations of the South Florida landscape, where he referred to Florida as terra incognita. Small’s book From Eden to Sahara: Florida’s Tragedy (1929), helped stimulate conservation efforts in South Florida to protect endangered lands that eventually brought about the creation of Everglades National Park in 1947. Ruff’s recontextualization of Small’s vision are meant to demonstrate that the wildness of the South Florida landscape can still be found in small pockets of the city. The works remind us of the fragility and rarity of these once abundant tropical environments that both Small and Deering were so keen to protect and preserve.
An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Sunday, June 25 from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Terra Incognita is partially funded by The Ellies, Oolite Arts' visual arts awards.