Bouquets to Art held its annual exhibit last week at the deYoung Museum, and brought together 150 floral designers and garden clubs to interpret works of art through the medium of flowers and botanicals ~ check out the slideshow to see some of the finished installations and behind-the-scenes images.

When my friend and business colleague, Ali of Alison Bliss Consulting, asked if I would be a tour guide this year, my effusive “yup!” said it all. The tour was a fund-raising event hosted by the University of Utah Alumni Association, and giving the tour allowed me to talk about floral design in a way I don’t normally do. With a background in architecture and graphic design, I tend to approach flowers and botanicals as a medium for structural and/or graphic compositions. But at the end of the day, an arranged design should really make you feel a certain way, and I often say that working in floral design is the “business of emotion”.

Art, of course, also makes us feel a certain way, and often makes us see something in a way we never have before. But with art, there’s usually a subject matter, whether it’s something literal and concrete, like a still life of fruit. Or something more abstract, like a Jackson Pollack painting. Not so much with floral design. Many floral designers, especially ones like myself that focus on weddings or events, will have a theme in mind that guides our designs when we’re working. But we usually don’t have a specific object, or in this case, work of art, that we’re interpreting. Which is what makes Bouquets to Art such a unique opportunity for floral designers.

The floral interpretations were about as diverse as you can get. Some were quite literal, and were beautiful renditions of form, texture, pattern and color. Others were more conceptual, and focused on a particular aspect of the art piece, and didn’t look like the piece so much as “feel” like it. And then there were the ones that used the art piece as a springboard for creativity, and totally departed from the art piece altogether. Following were some of my favorites ~ enjoy!

Artist: Maurice Loewy & Pierre-Henri Puiseux, Surface of the Moon (print on the left)
Floral Designer: Pat Friday, Friday Flowers
> I think of the moon’s surface as hard and somewhat barren; the designer evoked a softness and richness of texture you might only be able to see in a close-up shot like this
> this type of floral treatment is called pave, as in jewelry design (like a paved road) ~ it highlights the textural quality

Artist: Jacob Lawrence, Migration
Floral Designer: Arlene Boyle of Violetta & Stacy Donahue of Stunning Stems
> the painting is part of a series which depicts the mass exodus of African-Americans who moved to the North starting in the early 1900′s in search of a better life
> the briefcase, a prominent (and symbolic) element, is featured in the floral design
> the design doesn’t look so much like the piece, but “feels” like it

Artist: Rupert Garcia, La Xochitl IV
Floral Designer: Hiromi Nomura, Belle Flora
> La Xochitl means “flower” in the Aztec language Nahuatl; the central flower is a Mexican morning glory and the number IV means it’s the flower’s 4^th generation
> the artist plays on the dualistic notion of life and death and his works often have contradictory themes; e.g. morning glories (life-affirming) are often laid on graves during the Mexican Day of the Dead
> the floral designer chose a literal interpretation, but captured both the whimsical and darker qualities of the piece

Artist: John Vanderlyn, Caius Marius amid the Ruins of Carthage
Floral Designer: Jennifer Lato & Nixon Tran, Michael Daigian Design
> The painting is a Neoclassical historical piece depicting the exile of Caius Marius from Rome, and the parallels between his plight and the ruined city of Carthage in the background
> the subject matter is very concrete, but the floral interpretation is an abstract study in form, color and texture
> the main branch is sandblasted grapewood, which evokes the roughness of Caius Marius’ skin

Artist: Karen LaMonte, Dress 3
Floral Designer: Svenja Brotz, Chestnut and Vine
> the artist uses clothing as a metaphor for identity, with the human body in absentia; she explores the differences between our natural and social skin, and how we use clothing to protect the individual and project a persona; her sculptures of cast glass dresses investigate the idea that clothing draws the body underneath, and projects a cultural and social statement
> although both the sculpture and floral design depict the same subject matter (a dress), they feel entirely different; the glass dress is unmoving, cool, and almost ethereal ~ the floral dress is flowing and earthy

Categories: events, miscellaneous

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