Natural Insight: About the Project
Natural Insight: About the Project

The theme of this project is the interface between man and nature and the interconnection of all life. Our humanity is inextricably and wonderfully linked to a chain of life that links the earth together as one indivisible whole. Human ingenuity and inventiveness expressed through collaboration between art and technology can play an important role in this chain.

The digital artworks in this collection are inspired by the world of nature, and in particular the four seasons. They employ the use of Canon's photographic and printing technology together with the traditional tools of the fine art painter. Canon technology is helping us to see the micro and macro worlds previously unavailable to us. This has deepened our understanding of the holistic interdependent biosphere that we inhabit and its connection to the rest of the universe.

These conceptual artworks were created to provide an interrelationship of Hugh O'Donnell's traditional painting techniques, botanical imagery, and in particular plantings at the new Canon Americas headquarters, as well as imagery from the natural world, poetry, bio-mimicry, and scientific references. Canon optical innovations and Canon printing technologies were used throughout the project.

The artworks have been developed to exploit the capacity of high definition digital optics. To this end, the materials and photographs used in the works were captured and composed to allow for large scale fine art mural printing in high definition on Canon printers. Photographic elements, with some exceptions, were shot by Hugh O'Donnell.