Peter Krsko, Robert Anderson

press release: An exciting new exhibit of installation art will be on display daily in Olbrich’s tropical Bolz Conservatory starting Saturday, February 16. Titled LOOK: Tropical Tessellations, the exhibit explores the wonder and natural beauty of tessellations.

Consisting of repeated patterns of shapes, tessellations are found in human-made objects like quilts, soccer balls, tile floors, and the image created by a kaleidoscope. They also occur in nature as the patterns in honeycombs, snakeskin, spider webs, and pinecone scales. With the aid of a microscope, tessellations can even be observed in a plant’s vascular structure, the tissue that moves water and nutrients throughout the plant.

Two Wisconsin artists, Peter Krsko and Robert Anderson, have created original pieces for the exhibit that invite visitors to view and engage with the Conservatory’s flora and fauna through the lens of tessellations.

LOOK: Tropical Tessellations will be open to the public daily, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., from February 16 – March 24. Evening viewing hours will also be offered on Fridays from 4 – 7 p.m.

Explore Olbrich's LOOK: Tropical Tessellations with Krsko during guided walks. He will discuss his working methods, as well as the sources of and inspirations for his work, during a stroll through the Bolz Conservatory exhibit. Meet in the Visitor Center Lobby. Limited space; register early and by the deadline. Dates include 6 pm on 2/28 (RSVP by 2/21); 9 am on 3/7 (RSVP by 2/28) and 4 pm, 3/16 (RSVP by 3/8). $17 ($13 members).

Tessellations in Nature Workshop: Tessellations are arrangements of shapes or forms fitting closely together without any gaps. Explore LOOK: Tropical Tessellations and a variety of flora tessellations with artist Peter Krsko. While observing the natural tiling and packing arrangements, an emphasis will be put on hands-on experience by building models of plant tissues and Krsko's sculptures. This play will also introduce you to the scientific concepts of tessellations and how they influence modern design and engineering. All supplies included. 6:30-8 p.m., Tuesday, March 12 (Registration Deadline: Tuesday, March 5). $54.

Krsko’s sculptural installations present artistic interpretations of various biological material when viewed through a microscope. The pieces contribute to the artist’s wide body of work that draws inspiration from natural systems, forms, and processes. Krsko, based out of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, says this project actually began out of a close look at color.

“After studying color, especially looking for principles that make certain colors or color combinations pleasing to the human eye, I started questioning which spatial formations feel harmonious,” said Krsko.

“That’s how I discovered the patterns in dried up mud, pinecones, beehives, and biological tissues under a microscope.”

Robert Anderson is a metal sculptor working and living in northeast Wisconsin. He has worked with steel for nearly 25 years, creating two primary bodies of work - large living garden kaleidoscopes and inflated steel sculptures inspired by origami and botanical shapes. Original pieces from both of Anderson’s bodies of work will be on display for the exhibit.

Anderson has years of experience creating art specifically for gardens and natural landscapes. Visitors familiar with Olbrich will recognize Anderson’s work from the permanent garden kaleidoscope located nearby the entrance to the outdoor gardens.

“My goal is to complement the garden’s natural beauty with work that instills wonder and meditative reflection and, seemingly, is a natural intention for the landscape,” said Anderson.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children (ages 3 – 12), and free for children ages 2 and under. Olbrich members also receive free admission. Visit www.olbrich.org/events/LOOKexhibit.cfm for more information on the exhibit. Olbrich Botanical Gardens is located in Madison, Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Monona at 3330 Atwood Avenue. For more information, call 608-246-4550 or visit Olbrich's website at www.olbrich.org.