Mixed Media
Generally speaking, flowers in fine art raise more questions than they answer. Though their visual appeal is straightforward, the interpretation of their bewildering array of meaning is complicated, and often contradictory. The flower can function as a vehicle for contemplating concepts of sex, decay, gender politics, our environment, decadence, ceremony, and the mutability of life, love and death.
I used primarily recycled/rescued white silk flowers with a history of their own to build an iconic arrangement upon which the viewer can cast their own interpretations. However I do not deny my own complex allusion to art history in this piece. By combining the traditions of painting, design and ornamentation, I have created a sumptuous visual feast for lovers of art history, while retaining a beauty for anyone to appreciate. The use of silk flowers in particular, allows me to explore flower politics in an artificial gesture. These flowers and the painted image will outlive both you and I.