LÉA MAYER

This work is an allegory of art history and the history of painting in particular.
It is the result of research on the illusion in representation.
Each bouquet (naïve, classic and contemporary) was composed by a different person, two Professional florists (for the classical and the contemporary) and a child (for the naïve).
The laws of floral compositions (symmetry, type of container, type of flowers etc.) were studied and strictly followed by the florists.
Then I painted each bouquet on paper from observation at the 1.1 scale.
The kinds of paint used (oilpainting, watercolor and gouache) and the kinds of paper are very diverse in order to serve the illusion of the bouquet and to get as similar as possible to the flowers and leaves which needed to be represented.

This installation is therefore a proposal for a comparison between the history of flower arrangement and art history.

In the classic bouquet, the florist must follow strict rules of symmetry, tones and colors, and the number of floral elements used.
The flowers of the classical compositions are coming from the same surrounding, and grow at the same period of the year. The container (which could be comparable to the framework) must be a discreet vase, to highlight the bouquet without being too visible.

In the contemporary bouquet, the freedom of the florist is much bigger but also regulated by codes: flowers can be coming from completely different countries , they do not necessarily grow at the same season (the contemporary bouquet shown, for example, is composed of African foliage and Asian bamboo). Composition rules are more flexible, it can be deconstructed and have different heights. The container should serve the bouquet but can also be seen as an integral part of the composition. Recycled containers hijacked as vases are highly appreciated.
Somehow, the contemporary bouquet allows more creative possibilities to the florist but it is more artificial.

Meanwhile, the naive bouquet , made by a height year old child, is composed of very simple elements, very recognizable flowers which can be found everywhere. It was composed in a very spontaneous way, for the pleasure of creating and offering. Its container can be very modest.

The pedestals of the installation untitled (bouquets) were created by a french designer,  Cyril Cosquer in order to serve the purpose of the allegory.
The pedestal of the naive bouquet has the  height of a coffee table, the classical a height of a traditional table (kitchen or dining table) and the contemporary bouquet a height of an exhibition stand or a bar.

By observing the untitled (bouquets), the similarities and differences between the composition in floral arrangements and in painting allow to take a step back toward the history of art, and to ask questions in another way.

What is our relationship to painting, to fresh flowers?
Why aer artists from all times flowers fascinated by flowers?
How much time do we really spend when we look at things?
What is the natural /cultural load in each of these compositions?
What is the life span of these painted bouquets and of their models?
Can the triple relationship artist-artwork-spectator be compared to a gift of fresh flowers?
Is there an added value of the representation on the reality?

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