Back in February and March, I was in a group show at the gallery Vault Stone Shop. Meghan who owns the space had asked if I wanted to create new images for the exhibition and be a part of it. I took up the challenge and as I explain in the statement for the work below, it became a personal project to test my edge when it comes to self-portraiture.
The theme was “A visual exploration of obsession, entanglement, growth, regrowth, grand gesture, gender expectation, and coded communication.” My focus was specifically on the use of different flowers and what they could communicate, along with body gestures, and obsession.
Eryngo, Red Tulips, Yellow Chrysanthemums, and Orange Roses became my selfie partners as I moved in and out of the frame of my camera, on a tripod, and at a slow shutter speed to somewhat blur my face and body. It was an experiment and took a lot of trial and error. If my neighbors could have looked in the window mid-session, they might have thought I was some kind of self-interested weirdo with a flower fetish. Understandable.
Out of the hundreds of images I took, there were five that I chose to exhibit at Meghan’s gallery, as 20 in × 14 prints on Cold Press Fine Art Paper. The rest have never been seen until now. Over the next four days of journal posts, I will share images from each flower type and group, which did not make it into the show. As I say in the statement, I really like how the work turned out.
I Picked You A Flower Statement
It is definitely a thrill to present these brand new images to you, after not having made any new work for many years. This is a big deal for me. Thankfully the theme of the exhibition and the deadline inspired me to take action. Why was my resistance so strong for so long? Is creating something new really that scary?
After doing some research I discovered Floriography, or the language of flowers. It refers to the meanings and stories that have been attributed to flowers over many thousands of years by all the cultures of the earth. Inspired by this history of symbolism, the words of books old and new, a strong love of rich color, and with a desire to push my photographic limits into self-portraiture, I created these images.
I have always had a love for flowers and nature, and have many times been on both sides of the heartache and confusion that can accompany courtship and love. My intention in relationships is to always be as straightforward and honest as possible. So in keeping with that intention towards my work, these images were mostly realized in camera and not on a computer. I’m delighted with how this work turned out and am excited to see where this new direction takes me.