Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre Media release     1 October 2010 Crystallography   Al Munro Using textile-based media, and a number of scientific diagrams of crystal forms as her starting point, Al Munro describes the natural world through the exploration of mathematical codes and patterns. In her solo exhibition, Crystallography, Munro exhibits needlepoint textiles and screen prints on paper. Her work examines the process of translating scientific representations using reference points where nature has been inscribed as a code, pattern, schema or formula. For Munro, the development of these ideas began by focusing on the creation of a visible representation devised from contemporary and historical crystallographic texts. Enthralled by the very characteristic of crystals and their inherent ability to be split into ever smaller versions of themselves, Munro is drawn to the function of crystallographic diagrams and drawings as a description of the world’s most discreet and fundamental units or code. The translation of crystals into the mathematical language of geometry enables the natural phenomena to be represented by a repeatable, coded formula. Munro has interpreted and reconstructed this formula through the use of drawn, printed and actual stitches, and by doing so has created her own crystal specimens as well as developing a visual representation of the encoding process. Munro is currently a PhD candidate in the Textiles Workshop at the Australian National University School of Art, following her attainment of a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) with 1st class Honours and a Master of Philosophy (Visual Arts) both from The Australian National University. Crystallography will be opened by Gordon Bull, Head of the School of Art, Australian National University, at 6.pm Thursday 7 October 2010. The exhibition continues until Saturday 6 November 2010 in Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre’s Gallery, Level 1 North Building, 180 London Circuit, Canberra City. The Centre is open Tuesday to Friday 10.am to 5.pm and Saturday 12.pm to 4.pm. Avi Amesbury, Executive Director For information Media contact: Amy Kerr, Communications and Program Manager Telephone: (02) 6262 9333 Email: amy.kerr@craftact.org.au Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre - Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit, Canberra ACT Craft ACT is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy - an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments. Craft ACT is also supported by the ACT Government and the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government's arts funding and advisory body.