
Portraits in Bloom Essay
Flowers depicted in 17th Century Old Master still life paintings have had an immense influence in my photographic imagery. The flowers that adorned their canvases were not just decorative; they were rich in symbolism and cultural meaning. Flowers that were already wilting symbolized the brevity of life - that beauty, wealth and earthly pleasures are fleeting. During the Dutch Golden age, the painters conveyed the wealth of their patrons and showcased flowers that reflected their growing interest in botany and the natural sciences.
I have always been drawn to flowers…ever since I spent time in my grandparent’s garden in Long Island. My grandfather was an avid gardener. His garden of flowers and vegetables and raspberries flowing over the neighbor’s fence - which I loved to pluck - have become special memories for me. He built glass cold frames and grew seedlings - he had peach, Italian plum trees, plate size Dahlias and fig trees among many other specimens. I have a fig tree grown from a cutting of his fig tree and dozens of flowers that I cultivate for use in my photographs and to beautify my home. My grandmother won blue ribbons for her exquisite roses. My mother also loved flowers which I grow in my Connecticut garden.
When I began this new series “Portraits in Bloom”, instead of placing them in vases in a still life table scape, I decided to portray flowers as the main vision. I was inspired by the 17th Century Old Masters, such as Jan van Kessel and Maria Sybilla Merian. These 17th C. artists celebrated individual flowers, petals and illustrated their intricate nature. Both artists presented their flower tableaus as real-life forms, documented them instead of creating them as an allegoric message. For my series, I have created flowers along with butterflies and insects as a portrait of the individual flower and in an allegorical way as well. There are flowers that are buds and flowers that are wilting – the beautiful cycle of life.
The flowers – Peonies, Lilacs, Sunflowers, Zinnias, Irises, Roses, Fritillaria, Tulips, Dahlias, Hydrangeas, Delphiniums and Foxglove are grown in my garden in Connecticut.