Genus/species is a body of work that explores the role that naming, labeling and language plays in our lives. In each image, a long photographic exposure captures several seconds of the model interacting with the flower they hold, imbuing the image with a painterly quality.

In lieu of the models names or other descriptors, the images are titled using the taxonomic names of the flowers, harkening back to botanical illustrations and Linnaean classification, and suggesting that while a picture may be ‘worth a thousand words’, none may be adequate to describe the complexities and beauty of being human.

A note from the curator:

I’ve been enamoured with Shelagh’s work for some time. The complexities of each photograph are so carefully crafted, the viewer is handed a rich palette of symbolism, composition and colour. I find it so easy to get lost in these twisting organic forms, I hope you enjoy them as well.

- Alissa Sexton