I've referred to flowers in my work ever since I was an undergrad, over 20 years ago. At first, I was only interested in the rose. Having longed for love, rebuked love, been changeable in my affections, been self-critical of myself for having loved too much or not having loved enough (oh, the toils of the late teens....), I found the rose a bit of a troublesome symbol. It purported to symbolise everlasting love, yet it died so quickly. It changed quicker even than my youthful heart. And what do we do with a withered old rose? What does it mean then?
It is difficult to detangle flowers from their long and deep cultural symbolism - and for a long time, this entanglement caused me to question whether the language of flowers was still the language that I wanted to use. The straightforward readings of flowers - this means this and that means that - it all felt a little trite, and it felt tenuous to tie such definite meanings to flowers that, in their very nature, pass so quickly.
Crafting Narratives with Flowers
But now, with some distance from my youth, the problematic dried up roses feel less troubling. The prickly throrns that sacrifice the hand to protect the flower feel less spiteful. The roses, along with the other flowers, have become part of a landscape where feelings grow and die back and, sometimes, come back again. And in understanding the symbolism of flowers not in isolation, but in the context of a complex intermingling ecosystem, those straightforward and trite readings can become more subtle, nuanced and dialogical.
And in this context, where different flowers bloom and lie dormant at different times, I'll explore a few of my favourite flowers that recur regularly within my works.
The Symbolism of Flowers
Roses
Roses have the overt symbolism of love - but dependent on their colour, they can range from sensuality to loyalty to friendship. Roses embody one of the most significant designs found in both nature and art; the Fibonachi spiral. This is found all over the place when you look for it - from snail shells to fern leaves to the shapes of universes. Also known as the Golden Spiral, this shape has been used for centuries by artists to create harmonious compositions. In my own works, rose petals still speak to me of love and, in incorporating them into the artwork, I attempt to distill and immortalise those feelings. They hold a special place in my heart - they are the one plant that seems to thrive with me, and when they self-seed in my garden, I tend to them more than any plant we've had from the nursery.
Cornflowers
Cornflowers are also symbols of love - though in the case of the cornflower they have been associated with unrequited love. Here in England, they were once worn by girls to express that they were eligible to marry. Cornflowers are staples of both the 'English Country Garden' and the wildflower meadow, and here carry some relation to idyllic - and perhaps somewhat nostalgic - ideas of rural life. Sadly, in Austria, the cornflower was worn by the Nazis, and the cornflower held these associations for many years after the war. Cornflowers are pollen-rich and important food sources to many of our pollinators. Cornflower petals are an unsual shape, and the unopened flowers are so tiny that they are perfect for the most subtle adjustments to the colour and composition of an artwork. If I'm trying to capture the sense of petals caught on the wind, it is the cornflowers I turn to.
Delphiniums
Delphiniums bloom as tall stems of flowers - most commonly blue but also white and pink. The delphinium has been used to symbolise encouragement and the achievement of goals, and was said in Greek mythology to have blossomed from the blood of the slain god Ajax. Particularly good for bumble bees, the delphinium is another important plant for pollinators. Once dried, their petals are delicate in both form and colour.
Calendula
Calendula - or the modest Marigold - is an easily overlooked plant. It's both a great pollinator and serves to regenerate soil. It has healing properties and can be used in cooking and herbal teas. These flowers turn throughout the day to follow the sun - and were once thought to open at the beginning of each month, making them a natural time-keeper. In the artwork, they provide a pop of colour and their long, slender petals create a different texture to many of the other petals.
Hydrangea
Like the rose, the symbolism of the hydrangea depends on its colour, which famously varies depending on the acidity of the soil. In the UK, the bold, ostentatious blooms can allude to arrogance and vanity. That said, they are one of the best dried flowers you'll come across - maintaining their structure and a more subtle version of their original colour through the drying process. It's rare to find whole flowers that will resist the handling required of making the artwork as well as a hydrangea, so they have become a real staple in my art works. The variety of shapes, sizes and colours really lends so many options to the composition of works.
Floral Landscapes
It's through the combination of different flowers that we're able to tell the story of our hearts. The story of our hearts is rarely the story of love - of the rose - in isolation, but a flux of competing emotions that wax and wane over time. And moreover in my works, the symbolism of the flowers is increasingly the story of a love affair with the land; it's a story about the comfort and nourishment that I find in the fleeting beauty of flowers, and how my heart feels fuller in their presence.
So it seems that the flower will continue to be a presence in my artworks, though as my heart matures, it's the tenderness and subtleties of the floral landscape that keeps my attention, rather than the symbolism of the single flower.
Anna x
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