Forbidden Fruit

 Prue Sailer with Susan Ryman

Australian National Botanic Gardens, 2016

In Forbidden Fruit my work explores the adaptation of native wildlife to urban spaces and was inspired by watching native birds and animals feast on fruits grown in my garden.

The relentless spread of urban, industrial and agricultural development into native bushland continues to threaten the existence of native flora and fauna. However, as we cultivate food for our own consumption, either on a domestic or commercial scale, its abundance and accessibility attracts a variety of foragers.

In a domestic context this is arguably a minor inconvenience in comparison to the devastating impact that our appropriation of the land has on the natural environment. In this body of work birds and animals boldly occupy domestic still-life settings, where they appear as invaders in our environment – or is it the other way around?