"The Pendulum" is an ethereal paper installation that features botanical foliage, hand-illustrated and cut from local fine-art printing offcuts. Suspended gracefully in the air like a pendulum, the artwork references the suspended state of our environment, and the way in which human activities are currently influencing our planet to increasingly swing from one weather extreme to another. The delicate and still depiction of fragile botanicals hanging in a state of rest presents nature in a dreamlike state, hanging peacefully, protected from external influences. With an emphasis on form and shadowplay, the creation of this artwork is inspired by the instructional monstera leaf chandelier tutorials of Loose Leaf, as well as the various installations of Alchemy Orange, and other local florist works at the 2024 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and NGV's 2023 Art of Bloom exhibition. The Artist Based in Collingwood, Victoria, Manda Lane is an artist who works across delicate papercuttings, bold murals, and detailed illustrations, mostly centred on the intricate details within plants and nature. Her artistic practice is based around a hyper-obsession with botanicals, where she uses public art to re-insert nature back into urban locations, and uses her studio work to celebrate the often under-appreciated plants and weeds. Inspired by tattoo designs, and early scientific illustrations of nature, Manda works predominantly with a monochromatic palette, while also aiming to bring a contemporary and stylized approach to botanical art. Manda thrives on collaborations, with both fellow artists and on more formal projects This includes creating artworks for the National Gallery of Victoria (Temple of Boom, 2022), Dorsett Hotel Melbourne and Ritz Carlton Hotel. Her contributions also extend to organizations such as Visit Victoria, Agriculture Victoria, the Metro Tunnel project, local councils, and private commissions. Photography credit - P1xels