Harrison Public Library presents, “Rethinking Turf: Seeing the Invisible through Illustration” by M. Genevieve Hitchings

For the past ten years I have been collecting dead invertebrates (insects and spiders), studying them under my microscope and drawing them. To understand them better, I created diagrams, information graphics, and visualizations depicting their anatomies, life cycles, and specialized characteristics, as well as factual details depicting some of the reasons their numbers are in decline.

Focusing on several carefully selected species of fauna native to the North American Mid-Atlantic region, Rethinking Turf: Seeing the Invisible through Illustration is a series of illustrations exploring notions of beauty in our natural urban and suburban landscapes, in particular our obsession with manicured green lawns.

Invertebrates can be difficult for people to relate to, and they tend to draw unfavorable reactions. By showing these creatures up close through drawings and providing details about their vital role in supporting and sustaining ecosystems, viewers are challenged to rethink their misconceptions of these species as nuisances. We are surrounded by a natural world that depends on community support. Minor adjustments in how we treat our urban and suburban environments not only improve threatened insect and wildlife populations’ chances to survive, but more broadly improve the prospects for people to lead healthier lives.

The series consists of 20 13 x 19-inch drawings detailing the anatomies, life cycles, and specialized characteristics of a set of invertebrates (insects and spiders) native to Westchester County. The prints provide context with factual details about supportive land management practices instead of current destructive ones. Designed to work collectively, they tell a non-linear story highlighting the less visible lifeforms that should exist in harmony on a healthy plot of land. This body of work attempts to highlight the complexity, sophistication, and importance of these ‘invisible’ creatures.

Genevieve Hitchings is an Associate Professor in the department of Communication Design at New York City College of Technology, a division of the City University of New York (CUNY) where she teaches graphic design. She is principal designer of ARTORIUM, a design studio producing projects that concentrate on information design and illustration. She considers her work a form of art journalism, communicating the essentials of complex information quickly, clearly, and appealingly as a narrative.

Genevieve has worked as a contract artist at several research institutions including New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, and Mass Audubon. As her involvement in environmental and conservation efforts has grown, so has her interest in communicating these initiatives.

Her growing body of work has been featured in several exhibitions, including the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI) 50th Anniversary Juried Exhibition, displayed at the Art Gallery of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. and the New York State Museum’s Focus On Nature exhibit at the Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton, NY.