TAXONOMY

In Taxonomy, Beverly Penn pairs botanical samples with taxonomic UPCs on angular structures. Nodding to scientific method, she chooses pairings through narrative links—plants growing side by side, sharing leaf forms, or existing at similar life stages. With plant modification long embedded in human history—from grafting to genetic engineering—Penn suggests that barcoding nature is a plausible extension.

The formal strategies in Taxonomy echo centuries of visual systems meant to decipher natural mysteries. Botanical metaphors structure family trees; phenology charts track climate and ecological change; herbarium sheets timestamp plant life. This quantifying impulse also shapes human design—from bar graphs to lab vessels and industrial pipes. By substituting charts with imaginative botanical pairings, Penn reframes how we understand the systems we use to inventory the world.

Pieces in this series are made from bronze, steel, nickel, brass, cardboard, and mica and typically measure approximately 24 x 15 x 4 inches.