Mhairi Fenton grew up in Kent and went on to study BA Photography at Edinburgh College of Art, where she was awarded the Edinburgh University Photography Award and Visual Arts Scotland Showcase Award. She continued her studies on to MA Wildlife Documentary Production at The University of Salford; awarded Best Overall MA Wildlife Degree Performance and Best Wildlife Practical Research Project.
She combines her love for the natural world with her art practice to communicate scientific research to educate wider audiences. Fenton works within the intersection between science and art; converging research and expression.
Fenton’s current practice started by focusing on a philosophical quote stating ‘If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ (C.R. Mann and G. R. Twiss, 1910). In her work, she explores whether something exists if it is not perceived by our consciousness. The falling tree is a motif in her work and it is directly comparable to bringing awareness to the public surrounding deforestation.
Fenton investigates how deforestation is a foreign concept to those who do not witness its devastation; does it need to be seen to be recognised? This aligned with her interest in controlled environments that emulate different atmospheres. For example; the clearance of natural areas for poly-tunnels, greenhouses and tropical glass houses. Botanical gardens are representations of different climates for species of flora; they could be considered as zoos for plants. The protection for the plants within Botanical gardens is in stark contrast with the disregarding of the deforestation taking place in The Amazon and The Boreal Forest.
Fenton’s work ultimately questions the future of endangered species; is nature’s only hope to be protected in glass houses and grown in a lab?
