Dornith Doherty is an American photographer who has been collaborating with renowned biologists and international seed banks since 2008. Some of these seed banks include the United States Department of Agriculture, Royal Botanic Gardens, and Kings Park Botanic Gardens in Australia. Doherty photographs different types of plants with the use of indigo blue in the process of cryogenic preservation, as well as its reference to trade, cultural exchange, and migration. She uses color and the idea of climate change and the decline in biodiversity to focus on stopping time in relation to living material.
These images of organic material are statements on the importance of seed banks in preserving wild and agricultural species by ensuring genetic diversity. We are currently living in an era of global climate change that is effecting not only the whether patterns on the planet, but all living material as well. Doherty’s photographs are beautiful depictions of plant life displayed by organic patterns and shapes.
Dornith Doherty, Whip It
2009
Dornith Doherty, Kangaroo Grass
2014
Dornith Doherty, Seed Head II
2010