Earlier this year the artist visited The Wintergarden in the Auckland Domain furthering an interest in exotic flora and fauna (you may recall Monstera Deliciosa, 2015 from SPA_CE’s first show, GREENROOM).

However in this instance the artist observed the plants inside the house, as a way of literally enabling them to survive in a foreign country. Setting about to photograph the specimens, he chose to shoot from the outside through the glass ‘barrier’, capturing the flora, the atmosphere and the strictly flat surface that is a pane of safety glass.

These new works evoke a lush and sensual environment, tended to allow these foreign species to dwell and in some cases thrive.

The exhibitions original title was Wintergarden. Martin Poppelwell is building a single piece with this word, an idea for its foundation.