Spirits of the Flowers Keep Watch
Spirits of the Flowers Keep Watch
Background: My love of flowers and gardens led me to learn of Jeanne Barret (1740-1807), a French herbswoman who, disguised as a man, became the first woman to circumnavigate the world.
To better understand her life and its significance today, I looked to art and art history. I began with artists of Jeanne's lifetime, like Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun and François Boucher. I also explored paintings that presented material evidence of Jeanne's world. For example, while searching for naval vessels of the time, I found William Turner's painting of the horrific massacre aboard the British slave ship, the Zong. In 1781 more than 130 enslaved African people were killed by the Zong's crew. Seems the owners had insured the Africans as cargo and were worth more dead, than alive.
I began to wonder what other clues survive from the places Barret lived and traveled to--France, Brazil, Argentina, Tahiti, Mauritius. And what significance does her journey, and the way we tell her story, hold for us today? Do the roots of colonialism continue to play a role in the health of our planet?
I’ve chosen artists’ work, from the early 17th century to the 21st, that help me answer this question. The project title is taken from Paul Gauguin’s painting, Spirit of the Dead Keep Watch.
Process: I create and photograph still-life interpretations of each artist's work using artificial, mass-produced materials that are vastly different from the plants and herbs Barret encountered on her journey. I also photograph each artist's work somewhere in my home to physically and emotionally connect with Barret and explore how art connects us directly to our planet's true power, beauty, and fragility.
Artists Referenced:
Adriana Varejão
(b. 1964, lives in Rio de Janeiro)
Candice Lin
(b. 1979, lives in Los Angeles)
Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
(1755 – 1842, French)
Firelei Báez
(b. 1981, lives in New York City)
François Boucher
(1703 – 1770, French)
Kehinde Wiley
(b. 1977, lives in New York City)
Leonor Fini
(1907 – 1996, Argentine-Italian)
Lisa Reihana
(b. 1964, lives in New Zealand)
Pacita Abad
(1946 – 2004, Filipino-American)
Paul Gauguin
(1848 – 1903, French)
Roberto Matta
(1911 – 2002, Chilean)
Roelandt Savery
(1576 – 1639, Dutch)
Wangechi Mutu
(b. 1972, lives in Kenya and New York)
William Turner
(1789 - 1862, British)