Martha Iserman Solo Exhibition

Martha’s paintings are her love letter to all the little ecosystems she explored as a kid and to the other tiny tucked-away corners of the natural world that she had yet to observe.

Growing up living on the edge of marshland in Minnesota, she spent summers capturing various critters and placing them in a jar or shoebox with a few sticks and leaves — for ambiance! Lizards, insects, frogs, and even the occasional snake would suffer a confusing hour or two being observed by a curious kid who would inevitably feel guilty and return them to their original location, often with an apology and an extra yummy leaf for their trouble, because of course any animal smaller than a hand loves to eat leaves?!?

As she grew she began drawing the little creatures and incorporating them into habitats, believing all the little bits of the natural world deserved attention, and by scribbling their likeness in crayons, she was paying respect to them. This would become the driving force behind Matha’s work and career.

Matha is a respected watercolor artist and science illustrator from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA, who is currently working in the Dandenong’s. Where she has found boundless inspiration from living in a fern tree forest, surrounded by hills and streams, and visited by exotic parrots and bushy-tailed possums.

She has worked as a scientific illustrator in various research institutions and museums around the USA, working closely with biologists and researchers who have greatly influenced her work. Her art goes beyond the mere form on the insect but is rather a complex overlapping of stories and visuals as a way to interpret the underlying systems in history, language, and nature.

Martha is passionate about preserving natural history through imagery while finding new and exciting ways to depict familiar subjects.

Her exhibition is on display until the 27th of March in the Studio Gallery