Art in Bloom 2021 - Art in the Error

As I think back on 2021, I think of all of the weddings and events that made up my floral design year. But I also think about my experience with the inaugural Art in Bloom at Newfields. It was such an honor to be chosen as a designer to participate. But then amidst the turmoil and negative publicity they received in the wake of racial injustice being perpetuated, I was forced to make a difficult decision. 

 

After withdrawing from the event, they made some incredible moves, changes, and decisions in a short period of time that made me reconsider my involvement. I chose to participate after all, knowing it would be and feel different and knowing that I was supporting the necessary changes they were trying to inspire and make. It was a very hard decision. But I wanted to be part of the change.

 

After the gallery showing of Art in Bloom, I wanted to memorialize my florals in remembrance of the event. I have been doing plaster relief art and thought pressing and saving my floral images in plaster was the natural thing for me to do. But what I didn’t realize was that in doing so, I would be reminded of a stressful and pivotal moment in my design process for this event.

 

Museums have strict guidelines for anyone’s work. They strive to protect art from germs, mold, bugs, and bacteria. We had a list of do’s and don’ts for our designs. One of which was no paper or cardboard.

 

As I was creating my design, I realized that the tall, linear stature of the flowers needed some internal reinforcement. I had a friend in the studio with me as I was designing that day. When I realized that my design was leaning with the weight a bit, she suggested putting a firm base in the middle to hold it up, like cardboard. I thought it was a brilliant idea, without referring back to the guidelines. I put a piece of strong thick cardboard in the middle and it did the trick.

 

The next day, as I was going through inspection at the museum, the scientist who was inspecting my work asked how I constructed the design. I told him how it was leaning and thanks to a friend’s suggestion, I was able to secure the tall stature with an internal piece of cardboard. He quickly told me that was not allowed. 

 

The scientist was gracious and allowed me to bring back an acceptable replacement of corrugated plastic, which I had on hand at the studio. Creative crisis averted.

 

After my successful run of show was complete, I wanted to memorialize my design. And after practicing plaster relief for about a year, I knew that was how I wanted to artistically honor my design. But what I didn’t realize until months later, was that this piece would share a glimpse of my cardboard base structure that gave me stress and creative angst in the process.

 

As I create a plaster relief, I press the flowers into clay and then press them further with a rolling pin or pottery slab roller. With this project, because it was so large and I didn’t want the flowers to move, so I placed a piece of cardboard over them to then roll the slab roller over. What I didn’t realize until now, months later, was that the corrugated linear lines of the cardboard actually show in the design in the right light. 

 

What a surprise and blessing all at the same time. I am now regularly reminded of the process of the design, the cardboard mistake, and the angst in following the guidelines. There was beauty in the completion of such an amazing project. I am so grateful for the reminder that I will now have forever. A blessing in the right light.