A new exhibition by Clarence Valley artist Margaret Hodgson, ‘Nature’s Secret Business’, brings awareness of the inner beauty of nature’s network of biodiversity and the connection between all living things. Margaret is inspired by the beauty of nature’s mathematics, which she says is responsible for endless equations that bring humans into play as well as the wonder of spirals created by the natural environment that can be found from whirlpools, galaxies and shells to our DNA. In Nature’s Secret Business Margaret describes nature’s intelligence as not always being fully understood. “Nature is instinctive in adapting to changing habitats and the ability to self heal and interact and harmonise with humans if given the opportunity,” she said. “To highlight an example of this in my artwork titled ‘Secret Music of Plants’, plants sustain the planet with a mantle, like water and light our survival depends on their existence. “Ironically the plant kingdom is largely taken for granted yet huge networks of life forms rely on plants for food, medicine, shelter, as well as the beneficial effects relaxation brings when contemplating the beauty of flora. “The resilience of plants is amazing, demonstrated in how they spring back to life after drought and bush fires, yet they continue to give up their secrets. “Science has found that on sunrise plants begin to vibrate, which awakens the birds. This vibration produces music when a galvanometric type synthesiser machine is attached to their leaves. The study of plant intelligence and how we may be able to communicate with them is underway in Northern Italy, where instrumental pieces are being played to plants in the hope that they will learn to play the music back.” The exhibition opened on Friday (October 26) and continues until December 9.