While researching towards The Enlightenment Project, Marian Maguire stumbled upon the microscopic investigations of Nehemiah Grew, a seventeenth century plant anatomist. She was inspired by his remarkable illustrations of the cellular structure of leaves, stems, seeds and roots, published in ‘The Anatomy of Plants’ 1682, that revealed a view of nature hitherto unseen.
Plants are naturally rhythmic. They grow according to a pre-ordained pattern with variation only occurring when there is fluctuation in the environment, eg. more or less light, water, wind, food. The consistency of a plant’s intention is something Maguire very much likes and takes time to observe both in her garden and in the natural world.
Many of these images flow onward from her geometric work, albeit more curvaceously. In some she ruffles the rhythm. In others there is reference to Gordon Walters and his use of the koru, itself a derivation of growth patterns.

Botanical Folio #1

Botanical Folio #3

Botanical Folio #5

Botanical Folio #7

Botanical Folio #9

Botanical Folio #11

After Nehemiah Grew: 'Small end of a Buglofs Root'

After Nehemiah Grew: 'A young Borage Leaf'

After Nehemiah Grew: 'Wormwood Root cut transversly'

After Nehemiah Grew: 'Pine Branch cut transversly'

After Nehemiah Grew: 'Piece cut out of a Vine Branch'

Botanical Folio #2

Botanical Folio #4

Botanical Folio #6

Botanical Folio #8

Botanical Folio #10

After Nehemiah Grew: 'The Sumach Branch cut transversly'

After Nehemiah Grew: 'The young Fruit, Three Membranes, & Seed now loofe'

After Nehemiah Grew: 'Barberry Branch cut transversly'

After Nehemiah Grew: 'Part of a Vine Branch cut transversly and splitt downe y midle'

After Nehemiah Grew: 'A Goosberry cut transversly'