Visual art exhibitions and events with a platform for critical writing
Rhodes + Mann, London
24 July – 14 September
Reviewed by: Jacqui McIntosh
A black cat has jumped onto a plinth at Rhodes + Mann, knocking over a priceless fourth century terracotta vase. Fortunately this is only in the imagination of Paul McDevitt, whose inventive line drawings form part of an exhibition focusing on flowers and their use in art. 'Arrangement' features a diversity of art forms, both contemporary and historical.
On show is an impressive collection of botanical prints, including examples from Basilius Besler's Hortus Eystettensias. Documenting the Garden of Eichstatt, the first botanical garden, the book catalogues all shrubs and flowering plants known at the time. Besler's prints are both scientifically accurate and highly stylized. In contrast Michael Landy's etching Shepherd's Purse displays nature's idiosyncrasies by detailed and truthful representation.
Anna Thew's Mourning Garden Blackbird uses the flower as a way of exploring grief. Shot in her mother's garden the Easter after her death, Thew's film looks with a gaze that is fleeting and lingering. It recreates and holds onto a memory, reminding us of the transitory beauty of the flower and the cycle of nature.
Raoul Dufy described his textile designs as paintings that had "spilled from their frames and stained our dress and our walls". The floral may traditionally be the bread and butter of the textile artist, but Dufy's prints show a freshness and sophisticated understanding of pattern and are among the most successful pieces of this show.
The juxtaposition of decorative with symbolic is sometimes highly effective, at other times it is rather like walking through a flamboyant garden where the lilies are competing with the hydrangeas for attention. The lack of labelling in this exhibition assumes familiarity and adds confusion to an otherwise interesting exploration into our floral fascination.
Writer detail:
Jaqui McIntosh is a writer based in London.
Venue detail:
Rhodes + Mann
37 Hackney Road, LONDON E2 7NX
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