Anthophile

Visitors will be seeing artists from a variety of disciplines: from Phoebe Cummings’ temporary clay sculptures to the mixed media work of Julie Cockburn, who uses found paintings and photographs and embellishes them with inexpensive materials. This technique is not far of from Gordon Cheung’s psychedelic spray paint on stock listings or Tracey Emin’s still life on newsprint. The exhibition also features the colourful photographs by Emma Bass, who translated the Dutch 17th century phenomenon ‘Tullip Fever’. Carolina Mizrahi’s series is inspired by the art of Japanese flower arrangements, aka Ikebana, traditionally made as offerings for altars. Rebecca Stevenson also takes inspiration from death in her sculptures of deceased animals and flowers. In contrast, Ann Carrington created a bouquet out of silverware, showcasing how the inanimate objects we collect throughout our lives ironically outlive us. To close it off, Rachel Dein has created tiles with familiar natural landscapes. Flowers are complex, romantic, a symbol of life and simultaneously a symbol of death. The exhibition allows a look into the botanical world and the inspiration and metaphor it has been for art.