I grew up in Whanganui, the daughter of a Floral Artist. Mum effortlessly arranged the grandest displays of flowers which always held their form perfectly + never-ever questioned their place in her compositions. Many times she told me that all the Arts, whether music, floristry, painting, were all concerned with the same formal elements of line, colour, texture etc. I kind of got it back then, but now really know it as a grower + a painter when I head out hunting in my gardens, harvesting for a good arrangement of flowers to paint. Mind you, the satisfaction so easily granted from well-behave harmonious arrangements of any formal elements is something I chew on. There are more than a few reasons to think twice about a carefully composed arrangement, especially if it has anything to do with flora +/or the wider landscape. In my paintings, I want to render authentic beautiful arrangements, but also reveal their curated cultural contexts + the invaluable negative spaces created. |
The Little Workers Series |
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