“(Nothing but) Flowers” at Karma
Through September 13, 2020
What the gallery says: “The flower persists throughout art history. It figures prominently across still lifes; bird-and-flower motifs; the intricate patterning of Mbuti bark cloths; the tendrils and palmettes of Islamic miniatures. Botanical symbolism spans libertine excess, Dionesian glut, and delicate innocence; it evokes vanity, fertility, and the mortal coil.
“Yet most essentially for the present day, the tending and gifting of flowers is steeped in cultural practice. As balms of solace and support during times of remembrance and growth, blooms connote the sharing of emotion, and are given in sympathy, love, joy, or appreciation.”
Why it’s worth a look: Walking around New York after dusk these days, it can almost feel like any other summer day, with lights draped across sidewalk dining rooms, dogs roving once again in grassy parks, and—yes—flowers blooming everywhere.
This show at Karma is the artful equivalent of that bittersweet haze: some of the flora are drooping, or shedding petals as they near the end of their season, while others are pulsing with color and life.
This group show—which includes works by Nicole Eisenman, Hilary Pecis, Peter Doig, Susan Jane Walp, and Henni Alftan, among others—features artists with as diverse backgrounds as the flowers they’ve committed to canvas, and is the perfect respite for a summer afternoon.
What it looks like:
Installation view, “(Nothing but) Flowers” at Karma.
Susan Jane Walp, , (2000). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Henni Alftan, (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Installation view, “(Nothing but) Flowers” at Karma.
Nicole Eisenman, (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Calvin Marcus, (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Installation view, “(Nothing but) Flowers” at Karma.
Peter Doig, (1989). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Woody De Othello, (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Gertrude Abercrombie, (1941). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Installation view, “(Nothing but) Flowers” at Karma.
Lubaina Himid, (2006). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Zenzaburo Kojima, (1951). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Honor Titus, , (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Jeanette Mundt, (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Karma.
Installation view, “(Nothing but) Flowers” at Karma.
Installation view, “(Nothing but) Flowers” at Karma.
Installation view, “(Nothing but) Flowers” at Karma.
Source: Exhibition - news.artnet.com
