“Mothology : Discover the Magic is a celebration of nature’s diversity, and of artistic innovation. It excels as a unique gift for all who may be surprised and delighted by the rich natural heritage that is right before our eyes in the World Heritage Wet Tropics Rainforests of Queensland, Australia.” - Desley Boyle Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Member of the Wet Tropics Ministerial Council “Mothology certainly exploits the wonderful colours, patterns, combinations and contrasts of moths to an impressive extent. The combination of the designs and the originals of the moths from which they are derived is inspired and will surely kindle wider interest in the use of natural subjects in design. It makes a great visual impression.” - Ted Edwards CSIRO “Buck Richardson’s Mothology is the epitome of a coffee table book. Both beautiful and informative, you’ll want to keep it handy. The artwork draws one back time and again to discover more of their secrets” - Alan Gillanders Alan’s Wildlife Tours “Outstanding! What appeals to me most is the warm personal touch given to the subject. Mothology showcases the true beauty of moths in all their myriad shapes and colours, both as creatures in their own right and as the basis for stunning works of art.” - Nick Monaghan Life Unseen “Wonderful! I loved the stories, the personal touches. Pretty amazing work really.” - Ian McMillan Imbil Lepidoptera “It is quite wonderful. The writing and the illustrations are quite inspirational.” - Don Herbison-Evans Caterpillars of Australian Moths Mothology : Discover the Magic was officially launched in Cairns on Friday 10 October by Desley Boyle, Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry, Member of the Wet Tropics Ministerial Council and Member for Cairns and in Kuranda on Sunday 12 October by Tom Gilmore, Mayor Tablelands Regional Council and Member of the Board of the Wet Tropics Management Authority. Mothology : Discover the Magic is available from the following stockists from September 2008 at the recommended retail price (rrp) of $29.95 Angus & Robertson - Cairns Central Shopping Centre Angus & Robertson - Earlville Shopping Centre Apostrophe Book Shop - The Pier Shopping Centre Atherton Tableland Information Centre - Cnr Main Street and Silo Road, Atherton Australian Butterfly Sanctuary - Rob Vievers Drive, Kuranda Australis Art - 24 Coondoo Street, Kuranda Byblos Books - 111 Byrnes Street, Mareeba C4 - Mission Beach Cairns Regional Gallery Shop - corner Abbott and Shields Streets, Cairns Cairns Tropical Zoo - Captain Cook Highway Palm Cove Collins Booksellers - Smithfield Shopping Centre Crystal Ball Bookstore - 96 Lake Street, Cairns Flecker Botanical Gardens Gift Shop - Collins Street Cairns Gallery 5 - 5 Herberton Road Atherton Greenhouse Environment Shop - 55 Spence Street, Cairns Hartley’s Creek Crocodile Adventures - Captain Cook Highway Hartley’s Creek JCU Bookshop - JCU Campus, Smithfield Kick Arts Gift Shop - Cairns Centre of Contemporary Art Abbott Street Cairns Kuranda Newsagency - Coondoo Street, Kuranda Kuranda Post Office - Thongon Street, Kuranda Lake Barrine Gift Shop - Lake Barrine Gilles Highway Yungaburra Mission Beach Artists Gallery - Mission Beach Mossman Newsagency - 35 Front Street Mossman Palm Cove Supermarket - Upstairs Paradise Village Shopping Centre Palm Cove Port Douglas Newsagency - Shop 4 Port Village Macrossan Street Port Douglas Quincan Gallery - Quincan Close Yungaburra Redland IndigiScapes Centre - 17 Runnymede Road, Capalaba Skyrail Rainforest Cableway - Kuranda and Smithfield The Kuranda Tea House - Kuranda Village Shopping Centre Tableland Books - 11 Vernon Street, Atherton Tolga Woodworks Gallery - Kennedy Highway, Tolga WA Museum Shop - Perth WA Wait-a-While Craft Studio - 21 English Street, Malanda Yungaburra Information Centre - Cedar Street Yungaburra If you have a retail outlet and would like to stock, Mothology : Discover the Magic please contact me at: info@leapfrogoz.com.au If none of these outlets is convenient for you and you would like to purchase Mothology : Discover the Magic please contact me at: info@leapfrogoz.com.au and I will send your copy for the rrp $29.95 post free. REVIEWS Edited version of review by Dr David Britton from the Australian Museum in Sydney for the Society for Insect Studies Circular #135 There are any number of lavishly produced colour picture books of butterflies featuring both dead and live insects, but relatively few which show images of the vast remainder of the insect order Lepidoptera. To rectify this there has been “A Guide to Australian Moths” by Paul Zborowski and Ted Edwards published last year, and now this stunning new publication by Buck Richardson, which features numerous colour photos of live moths. It highlights just a few of Australia’s many moths, but will be an eye-opener for any of you who have not spent time around a light in tropical Queensland. The “Mothology” in the title is not Buck‟s attempt to rename a branch of entomology, but refers to his use of images of moths to construct images and objects of sublime beauty and detail. Buck’s book is first and foremost an artist’s take on moths. It is a well-bound hardcover book in 28 by 21.6cm landscape format. It consists of two parts, with the first half showing images of his source material, which are mostly macromoths which have turned up at his house in Kuranda. These are arranged by family and subfamily, but related families are not necessarily placed near each other. The quality and reproduction of the digital images is very impressive, especially given that the equipment used is not “top end” by any standards. This is a timely reminder that good technique and patience is far more important than laying out lots of cash for the best equipment. The majority of the species illustrated belong to what lepidopterist refer to as the “macromoth” families, although some of the larger micromoths make an appearance. For some moths these are probably the first published colour images of live specimens. It is in the second half of the book that we see how Buck has realised his “Mothology” concept. Buck has mastered the use of Adobe Photoshop to manipulate his digital images to create spectacular montages of moths in a variety of formats and media. Readers may be familiar with the souvenirs from various tropical locations where images are created by montages of real butterfly wings and beetle elytra in picture frames. Let me say that Buck’s images complete transcend these attempts, and are in a league of their own. The use of the description “photoshopped” has somewhat negative connotations, implying “fake” or that the artist and photographer has taken a shortcut, but this does not apply in this case. There are many delicate touches in how he has used his moth subjects, such as in his mandala images where the outstretched antennae of repeated images of moths form interlocking borders. As someone who is familiar with the majority of species figured in his images, I found myself diving into each image to try and locate the source species, and being delighted in how the beauty and complexity of the original is multiplied many times over to create a whole new effect. The most impressive piece is probably Buck’s Mothology take on the famous 16th century Ardabil carpets. Whilst many of his other images feature only one to three species each, this has numerous species arranged in geometric interweaving and repeated patterns. In other pieces there clever nods to the geometric artist M.C. Escher, and interpretations of mandalas and other geometric art, although Buck points out that he does not imply any religious significance in his use of these forms. I think the only images that did not quite deliver for me were the flippant use of groups of his spherical moth images in an egg carton and on a billiard table. However, I‟m sure this is more a matter of personal taste. There are a number of separate sections of text in the book which discuss the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics, the hobby of “mothing”, taxonomy, and his introduction to “Mothology”. These are written in a casual and somewhat rambling anecdotal style, but are entertaining and obviously aimed at a very broad audience The book is a fascinating and alternative look at insects and their beauty, and I hope it encourages more photographers and naturalists to take an interest in moths. At $29.95 it is incredibly good value for a new release hardcover, especially one of this quality. I hope that Buck goes onto do more of this and we see a second volume in the series soon. Dave Britton Review by Jan Taylor for the Western Australia Insect Study Society Newsletter October 2008 This book could be regarded as forming a milestone in nature publication. It is about moths, the beauty of living things as seen through moths, and how this natural art can be woven by computer-generated graphics into patterns and three-dimensional pictures of surpassing excellence. The author trained as an engineer and after a professional life moved to live in tropical rainforest at Kuranda, north Queensland. Over the years since he started this new life, he has taken photographs of local moths coming into the house and to street lamps and built up an album of over 300 species. Many of these are presented, mainly on a black background, in 26 pages of the book. This forms a good introduction to the beauty and diversity of moths, and although from Queensland rainforest, many are recognisable as ones also found in WA or to have near relatives here. There is little text in the book – he introduces his interest in moths in an anecdotal way incidentally leading the reader into some basic background information, even entering the field of modern taxonomy, referring to a database being built on the lepidoptera of the world which includes specific DNA bar codes. The final 24 pages present computer-generated artworks based on his digital photographs. Many are arranged in mandala-like patterns, others have been projected onto shiny spheres, some with a jewel-like quality. His designs have also been made into pure silk scarves and posters. He was even inspired by a Persian carpet design to produce a moth version. These can all be viewed and purchased from his website. It is a book for those who have a general interest and love art and nature. It may inspire people to look more closely at moths and become hooked on “mothology”. The book can also be useful for identification purposes.– Jan Taylor. Review by Chris Lambkin and Geoff Thompson for the Entomological Society of Queensland News Bulletin October 2008 Magic indeed! In this book Buck Richardson has managed to juxtapose his love of art and interest in moths. As entomologists, we are all aware of the beauty of the patterns and amazing colours of Lepidoptera. However it is fantastic to see a member of the general public developing not only an awareness of the biodiversity of moths, but also an understanding of the importance of taxonomic principles. By collaborating with a diverse group of amateur, professional, and retired entomologists, Bucks’ amazing photographs of the 350 odd species of moth found in his local area have been amalgamated into a beautiful and useful reference to the moths of the rainforests of north Queensland, if not Australia. Buck does not claim to be an entomologist, but his written information is clear, well organised, informative, and very readable. As for the digital images Buck has produced from his photographs of moths and presented in this book, and in the associated limited edition prints, Giclee prints on canvas, posters, scarves, 3D stars, mobiles, wall plates..... Truly amazing! These beautiful works demonstrate Buck’s love of colour and pattern, mastery of digital design, quirky sense of fun, and passion for attention to detail. This book is not just a coffee table addition for those requiring the latest collectable book. This is a book that you’ll want to look at again and again. As Buck says, ‘There is nothing subtle about the patterns on the wings of some moths. Simple or complex, bold or tonal in colour, always perfectly symmetrical, the variety astounding, these are truly beautiful creatures.’ The same applies to the designs that Buck has created. Mothology: Discover the Magic is available from many shops in the Cairns region and from Kuranda Kreations at www.leapfrogoz.com.au for the very reasonable price of $29.95. The associated limited edition prints, Giclee prints on canvas, posters, scarves (also available at the Queensland Museum South Bank's Explorer Shop), mobiles, wall plates (around $55), and 3D stars (around $250) may also be obtained from Kuranda Kreations. Chris knows where she will be shopping for Christmas! - Chris Lambkin & Geoff Thompson mailto:info@leapfrogoz.com.aumailto:info@leapfrogoz.com.aushapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1
 
Dingo Innocent - The Azaria Chamberlain Mystery
 
Publishing