2017, papers, felt, hobby grass, thread, wire, string, fabric, pen, pencil, ink, beads, stamps, photographs, 39 x 57 inches.
During the past three Easter holidays, my family and I have traveled England, touring gardens, the most remarkable being Prince Charles Highgrove. This artwork was inspired by those gardens and a collaborative project that I did with my child’s 4th grade class called Mystery Meadow.
Despite my Spring Garden having grown wild and unruly in places, there are clear delineations within the borders of the paper. Inside, paths meander through patterns, deviations, lulls and surprises, drawn flowers and collected pictures of plants and flowers.
I recently saw a Klimt painting of a garden. Unexpected bulges protruded within the painting as though something had been buried under the flowers. To acknowledge that life is built on death, I included undefined undulations, brown patches, and strange undetermined slug-like bits. Though the idea of a garden is not sinister, , it is slightly eerie to think of the possibilities of what could be lurking under the bulging, murky swellings.