Sarah Rayner & Sophie Carnell, Florilegium…. Whispered conversations IV, 2020. Hand carved porcelain and sterling and fine silver, 17 x 85 x 4cm (10 components). Courtesy: the artist and Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Sydney.

Anthologia is a Greek word that means flower gathering; its English translation, anthology denotes a collection of literary works such as poems, short stories or plays. Both definitions are meaningful in considering the work of artists Sarah Rayner and Sophie Carnell. Over the past two decades both artists have established singular and highly regarded practices, characterised by their close observation of native flora and fidelity to materials. It is perhaps not surprising then that the pair should become friends and collaborators.

Anthologia collects Carnell’s and Rayner’s individual and shared responses to their subject matter. It presents them in such a way as to facilitate an appreciation of their similarities, as well as highlighting how each of their responses is unique. Both artists make work that speaks to the complexity and richness of native flora however they are not faithful representations. Instead, they are subjective interpretations that foreground the precariousness of our finely balanced ecosystem.

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