I am sitting in the dark and rain under a hankerchief tree in Oxford’s Botanic Gardens. The gardens are lit by candlelight, at least those remaining that haven’t been quenched by the rain. And it’s decidedly muddy.

Magic Hour is a collaboration between the Botanic Garden and Oxford Contemporary Music. The artist under the hankerchief tree is Rob Kessler, who has worked with Kew Gardens in the past. His work consists of a box in the tree which emits the sound of loudly buzzing bees (“From Cyprus!” he tells me), and printed squares of cloth (the “hankerchieves”) which hang from the tree. I have to say, I don’t get the bees, what drew me in was what were clearly scanning electron microscopy images of pollen, black and white with with false colour applied to the pollens.

I find this common in my response to art – with sci-art or otherwise – that I am more interested in the process than I am in the final piece. It’s a very analytical approach, I want to know how or why a particular piece was created.

I don’t think this in any way lessens my appreciation of art. In fact I think it adds to it. For Rob Kessler’s work I was fascinated by the pollens themselves, how they work, why each one is different, and why the artist selected each colour for the pollen. I can admire the beauty of nature, learn something new about pollen and appreciate the scientific method as well, what more could a geek ask for?!