SUSAN HAURI-DOWNING

The ecosystems of Australia’s south-west are unique and highly threatened by human activity and climate change. We exist in a strange dance between destroying and conserving the fragile, sensitive ecologies and species we live with. The to-scale etching of the William’s Spider orchid, found in our south-west, is one of the rarest orchids in Australia, existing in a bushland reserve in the Wheatbelt region of WA.

Biodiversity hotspots are distinct for being the most biologically prolific yet threatened regions. A hotspot is qualified by having over 1,500 species of endemic vascular plants yet losing at least 70% of primary native vegetation. Currently, there are 36 such hotspots globally. Australia’s south-west is one of them, where the last 200 years have seen an extraordinary extinction rate.

Glass cloches were used to create protective, albeit fragile, micro-climates to display and showcase orchids and other plants during the

19th century and to preserve and present plant specimens in natural history museums and homes. In this work, the etched drawing on the dome’s surface signifies the precious existence of this endangered species and its ecosystem and the precarious and futile nature of attempts to conserve them. The shadow cast by the drawing reminds us of the threat to their existence and their soon-to-be absence. The work presents a delicate memento mori and provides an opportunity to grieve before these unique plants are lost.

The work is part of a series called Threatened, Rare – Extant, that explores the relationships between rare and endangered orchids and their south-west Australian ecosystems. The series acknowledges the losses due to colonisation and the legacy of conservation efforts in the face of human-induced environmental devastation. It honours our shared grief and loss: threatened, rare – extant.

2023

Sand-etched glass; light

Susan Hauri-Downing is an artist and eco-social worker. She works at the intersections of social work and artistic methodologies and practices. Her practice focuses on urban ecological diversity, biocultural diversity, grief and loss, and the intricacy of interspecies relationships. She builds relationships and facilitates connections with individuals and groups to create artworks that explore ecological and social justice issues. She prefers to work with plants, glass, and repurposed and found materials to create sculptures, installations, drawings, and paintings. She also provides safe spaces for art as therapy and facilitates creative workshops, often focused on relationships with nature, eco-literacy, and grief and loss. She has 20 years of experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and her trauma-sensitive practice is dedicated to strengthening and improving the wellbeing of those with whom she works and the natural systems in which we live.