Wildflowering is a passionate biography of the Australian artist Kathleen McArthur (1915-2001). This book, in which McArthur’s investigation of the relationship between native plants and the larger ecological balance in Australia is explored, swiftly disperses any preconceptions of botanical illustration as a staid profession. According to McArthur, a co-founder of the Wildlife Preservation Society, Australia’s native flora could not be appreciated without dispersing the shackles of European aesthetic perceptions: ‘when the mind opens, the flower blooms.’ For decades McArthur developed this theory and applied it to both her creative and conservation projects. Somerville’s account of McArthur’s art and her foray into grassroots environmental conservation in Queensland is both detailed and inspirational. The author cleverly links the formation of McArthur’s ideas with events from her rich life. Although I admire Somerville’s desire to interweave this creativity into her own writing, I found her purple prose to be somewhat distracting at times. Despite this, Wildflowers is a timely vehicle highlighting McArthur’s artistic and social legacy to the Australian environment.

Kate Dethridge is the manager of Plants in Print Bookshop in Melbourne

Tags: margaret somerville