Finlay Taylor curated against Nature, an exhibition exploring conditions of current understandings of geography, or the geo-graphical, natural histories and landscapes.

This exhibition concentrated on work that uses print and the ways in which subtle innovations in this medium are used to great effect to investigate some of the complexities that arise when looking at nature in art. It also brings together works to explore the recurrence of natural motifs such as mountains, plants and the moon.
The curation exposed links between ideas and approaches for example Bob Matthews work The Future, 2012 a linocut and tie-dye on linen, bamboo, acrylic and rope measuring 488 x 244 cm with Hokusai’s woodcut, Fuji above the lighting from 1831. The reach of Japans cultural history is seen, the continued search for the spiritual as a common measure of encountering the world, the legacy of a process and its continued vitality as well as elements such as a shared use of colour. Works by Tim O’Riley revealed the place of scientific endeavor and understanding with the place of seemingly arbitrary objects. In his work ‘Accidental Journey’ of 2010 O’Riley inspects the importance of objects, looking and close observation of the moon, which recurs through out the exhibition as a reminder of distant things, the future and the past.

For this exhibition Finlay Taylor created a new work titled ,Making plans before heading south’ that consisted of large photocopy images of clouds, aerial views and a tableaux of globes and artifacts. The table top collection alluding to plans, drawing and a process of altering or defacing mapped surfaces continuing the experiments with how printed matter can be used and interpreted.

A symposium for against Nature was held on the 21 May at Wilson Road Lecture Hall, Camberwell College of Arts.
Three invited speakers discussed ideas related to the exhibition:
Gill Saunders, curator of prints at the Victoria and Albert Museum discussed gardens and unnatural nature in print, looking at works by Ivor Abrahams', Victoria Browne and Andrew Curtis.
Dr Joy Sleeman has researched extensively into her personal interests into European land art. Here Joy inspected artists who have addressed the idea of the connections between earth, space and the moon.
David Cross is an artist renowned for his collaborations with Matthew Cornford (Cornford and Cross), relating his work in the show to wider ecological and economic issues.
This symposia event was collaboration between Camberwell Space, CCW Graduate School, UCL, V&A and the RCA.