Flowers & Diamonds
“Wear floral clothing and get 50% off your ticket!” the Saatchi Gallery’s website promoted in its final month of FLOWERS – FLORA IN CONTEMPORARY ART & CULTURE. The multi-level, multi-layered story told throughout the exhibition was a thoughtful exploration of the varied expressions and applications of flowers in art and culture and through time.
Gallery goers wearing their flower prints
The exhibit began looking through a historical lens of flower-centric paintings, sculpture, textiles, and frescos from the past. My favorite piece was by Margaret Mellis called John’s Fuchsias. Mellis managed to marry two of my favorite things: flowers and mail. Using crayons on a deconstructed envelope, she honors the common sight throughout London of the bleeding heart, or fuchsia, with their tassels that dangle in the wind. There’s something about art in galleries that often feels unattainable, distant, separate, and out of touch, but this framed work was so simple and so real. Like something I’d see at one of my sisters’ houses.
John’s Fuchsias, 1989
A major highlight was the large-scale installation by Rebecca Louise Law, whose work filled a room with 20 years’ worth of collection and preservation which was fashioned into a dried wonderland. The dried allium and globe thistle caught my attention, along with the lavender. Ultimately, I was most interested in the mechanics of something of that scale.
Dried allium suspended from above with gold bullion wire
Additional themes explored throughout were Flowers in Media—film, photography television, and music, Flowers in Fashion, and of course the medicinal and healing qualities of flora backed by science. The original work balanced out the digital reproductions. It was a sweet way to start the day among other flower lovers.
Ceramic sandals by Holly Stevenson, 2024
Following the Saatchi Gallery, I wandered through the streets toward South Kensington to the V&A for their exquisite Cartier exhibition. WOW! Holy sparkles. I loveeed the dramatic presentation: dark rooms with black walls and spotlights on rotating mechanics to showcase the splendor of each piece. From brooches to lipstick holders, tiaras to crowns, timeless timepieces like wristwatches and desk clocks, Cartier’s artistry is unmatched. Jewelers must have a refined eye for quality and nimble hands for craftsmanship.
A playful art deco tiara inspired by nature, The feather fan with the tear drop piece and the curves in the head piece itself are simply divine!
Beyond the impressive hundred fifty years’ worth of the collection, the exhibit featured inspiration references, global influences, the Cartier family’s history and ongoing legacy. Display plaques casually indicated: “Commissioned by XXX”, “On loan from His Majesty”, and “From the personal collection of XXX”. From a production standpoint alone, the reality of coordinating inbound/outbound exchange of all these high-value pieces worldwide was mind-blowing.
This one had my full attention. The suspended pearls among inlayed diamonds, deadly combination!
Bleeding heart cam on the way home from a day out
