Paintings that reference florals and flowers might initially evoke a certain “chocolate box” sentimentality, often dismissed as lacking in fine art’s gravitas. However, contemporary artists like Cy Twombly and Flora Yukhnovich, among others, transform these organic motifs into profound symbols of life’s existential nature. Their work transcends pastiche, capturing the robust interplay between the ascent and descent of life, the vitality that diminishes in a blaze, evoking a deeper contemplation of life’s cyclical essence.
Among the artists represented by New Blood Art, several engage deeply with the natural world, using the motif of flowers in various states of vitality and decline to explore themes of beauty, decay, and transformation.
Orlanda Broom, for instance, creates lush, exotic landscapes filled with saturated colors that evoke both beauty and a sense of otherworldliness. Her works often focus on vibrant, untouched natural scenes that hint at post-apocalyptic regeneration, where the absence of human presence allows nature to flourish unchecked. The dense, layered quality of her paintings, inspired by her extensive travels and fascination with botanical art, draws viewers into these enchanting yet unsettling worlds . Additionally, Broom’s purely abstract works explore organic forms and the flow of paint, emphasizing immediacy and freshness through a process that involves minimal intervention with tools .
Emily McGuire’s art captures the transient beauty of flowers, emphasizing their peak moments just before they begin to fade. Through subtle color variations, McGuire reflects on the ephemeral nature of life and beauty, inviting viewers to appreciate the fleeting moments of perfection in the natural world.
Xiaoyu Shi’s work provides a deeply personal exploration, reflecting on her life through the metaphor of flowers. As Shi states, “Flowers open towards an end of death. Slowly wrinkled petals forecast the death. The tightly wrapped dull buds are yet a sign of life, of blooming energy. From budding to blooming, to wilting or decaying, flowers always have a special ability to possess beauty. I couldn’t help but be attracted to their tender strength.” Shi’s reflections on the lifecycle of flowers serve as a poignant rehearsal of her own experiences with life and death, seeing life “from behind this veil of flowers.”
Aesthetically, these works bring a wonderfully vibrant and abstracted essence to a space while subverting traditional notions in an edgy way.