Listen to the Sound of Plants was designed by leading Australian artist Janet Laurence as a private commission in 2017. Comprised of images of plants from Laurence's extensive visual archive, the tapestry considers our human relationship to the natural world.

For more than 30 years Laurence has explored the interconnection of the natural word – animal, plant, mineral – through her multi-disciplinary practice. Working across painting, sculpture, installation, photography and video, she has employed diverse materials to explore the environmental challenges we face today. Creating immersive environments that navigate the interconnections between all living forms, Laurence’s work occupies the liminal zones where art, science, imagination and memory converge.

Laurence has collaged digital images of plants with images of paint poured over glass, to create layered transparencies within the design. ATW weavers Chris Cochius, Pamela Joyce and Cheryl Thornton selected a wide pallet of greens to create this tapestry, including cotton yarns - which can be used to highlight particular areas within the design. ATW dyer Tony Stefanovski dyed a new range of green cottons to achieve specific tones for the weaver’s requirements. The translation of digital image to tapestry provided a challenge for the weavers as they navigated the reflective surface elements of the design. Through very subtle colour mixing techniques and by employing many tones that are close together, the weavers were able to achieve a soft watery effect.

Janet Laurence is represented by Arc One Gallery.