Friday, May 28, 2010

Bouquets to Art - 2010 Part II


DSC06441_1399 De Young Museum Chairs

For the next leg of your tour of Bouquets to Art 2010 I take you to a gallery where I saw several people swiveling their heads trying to match this floral pergola with a work of art. Then when I walked around the arrangement I realized that the designer created a grand entrance for the portrait of the man in the yellow turban. I did not notice the window panes adorned with pressed flowers until I reviewed my photos at home.

DSC06424 Bouquets to Art 2010

The literal interpretation of James Abbott McNeill Whistler's  hunched, scaly-looking piano player in "The Gold Scab"  drew a lot of attention,

DSC06423 Bouquets to Art

particularly because the sheet music was enhanced with editorial commentary about rich industrialists.

DSC06428_1386 Bouquets to Art sheet music

The luscious, traditional arrangement, composed of foliage from Filoli, is a perfect complement to Hudson River School artist Albert Bierstadt's "Sunlight and Shadow, 1862".

DSC06432_1390 Bouquets to Art - Bierstadt

DSC03989 Albert Bierstadt - Sunlight and Shadow, 1862

I like how Mary Ellen Wilson and Arnelle Kase of The San Francisco Garden Club mirrored the circular frame for these portraits.

DSC06433_1391 Succulent Oval

Deidre Rastelli of Tutti Fiori Floral Design wanted to "represent the vows of poverty taken by the priests of that era."

DSC06437_1395 Bouquets to Art birch

I've always been fond of the chair collection at the De Young Museum. Pat Miller's entry featuring fiddlehead ferns and jasmine is an enchanting addition.

DSC06442_1400 A Bed of Roses -- Pat Miller  chair

This display of white football mums in three barrel-shaped wooden vases atop the equisetum-covered table with hen-and-chicks (echeveria) finials would be the perfect addition to a room featuring Frank Lloyd Wright's Barrel Chair. The designer definitely achieved her aim for "the flowers to mimic the cushion of the chair... (and) follow Wright's philosophy that every piece is meant to match and compliment the building it goes in."

DSC06446_1404 Football mums and equisetum

Kathleen Derby's purple Biedermeier-style design was a great choice for Rockwell Kent's seascape.

DSC06443_1401 Rockwell Kent

Of course I'm biased, but I thought Wendy Pine's selection of yellow kangaroo paw flowers, tall orange Mitsumata branches, with the blue cylinder worked well with the painting she selected.

DSC06444_1402 Wendy Pine

Next time I will take you downstairs to the modern collection.

26 comments:

Vagabonde said...

I just read your post about your mother and I learned a lot about marzipan. Marzipan is my eldest daughter’s favorite so I usually buy some Niederegger marzipan for Christmas (this year a bought a small box for myself too, but don’t tell….) This Bouquets to Art exhibit is quite enchanting. My favorite in this post is the purple blue bouquet in a silver vase by Kathleen Derby. It is so simple and its line and colors correspond very well with the painting. I am waiting for the next post on your mum.

rochambeau said...

WOWza Dutchbaby!!
No one does it quite like people from Northern California. So inventive, so forward, it takes my breath away. THIS is a perfect example of creativity at it's finest. What a cool combo. Paintings and bouquets at the DeYoung. Did you sneak the photos, or was it allowed? Pat Miller's entry is mind blowing! So is Deidre Tastelli's!
But ALL great to see and be inspired by! Will bring my mom back later.
Thank you.
xox
Constance

Ruth said...

Your photos in this post are especially great!

The sets in this gallery are so beautiful, I love the backdrop of furniture, from that first array of chairs, so cool. The circular frame mirroring portraits with the highboy and chests is wonderful.

I also love the traditional Filoli arrangement, so ebullient and beautifully balanced.

Yes, I do also like your teacher's landscapish design.

I'm looking forward to the modern next.

melissashook said...

I love the first image with the chairs...
and the one with Citigroup and JP Morgan!
thanks!

Kala said...

Some of those floral arrangements are quite stunning and unique.

Ginnie Hart said...

What a fabulous way to showcase floral arrangements in juxtaposition with works of art, DB. So cool. I can imagine how much this was like eye candy for all who attended. It's eye candy for ME to see your post presented like this! :)

LoisW said...

I love the chair! I want one on my front porch now. I love the way they match them to the paintings.

Thanks for stopping by to see if I am good... and yes, I am! I did get laid off last week, however, I knew it would end as soon as Title 1 funds dried up. School is out for summer now, anyway. More time to paint, read, and write! Pray for more Title 1 fund for next school year! Til then, I'm gonna get artistic!

Unknown said...

Very nice photos! I love the flowers everywhere! I feel like I toured with you!

Susan said...

Oh my, so gorgeous! I can just imagine how wonderful it must have smelled in the gallery!

Velva said...

Wow, this collection was beautiful. Thanks for sharing this with us-

California Girl said...

a magical exhibit. would love to see some day. thank you for posting the beautiful photographs.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Vagabonde,
I'm so glad you bought a box of Niederegger marzipan for yourself - your secret's safe with me :)

I agree wholehearted with your observations about Kathleen Derby's arrangement. With her choices of blue hyacinths, purple callas, and blue thistle (eryngium), together with the shape of the silver container and the concentric Biedermeier style, she made an arresting connection with the painting.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Constance,
Each time I go to Bouquets to Art I pinch myself and appreciate how lucky I am to live in the Bay Area. The first time I saw this show thirty-one years ago I just about jumped out of my skin with delight and awe.

I'm so happy that the De Young allows photographs in their museum so that I can relive these moments by sharing them with you.

I try not to look at the tags before I take the photos so that I don't bias myself. I find myself photographing Pat Miller's work year after year after year. What an artist she is.

Relyn Lawson said...

You know how much I love these posts. Each artist has such a unique view, a unique way of seeing. I love that they have the change to reinterpret another artist. It's so fantastic. As to my own favorites, Derby's was a bit to literal to be my favorite. I love the funky ones like.... OK, I'm looking and now I am thinking that maybe that isn't true. Because I absolutely adore the Whistler interpretation. Maybe it's just that I like the original art the best? I also find the interpretation of Bierstadt's incredible. But, of course, I really love that painting. Hmmmm... a conundrum. Do viewers like the flowers if they don't like the art that inspired it?

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Ruth,
Thanks for your comment about my photos. I normally go twice to the Bouquets to Art. Once during the Gala Night and then a day or two later, in the daytime, with a classmate or two to complete our homework assignment and to retake any photos that didn't turn out well. Because I was traveling to Houston the day after the gala, I only had my evening photos. Flash and tripod are strictly forbidden in the museum so I ended up with many out-of-focus images due to the low light conditions. Oh dear, when am I going to learn to just say thank you when I get a compliment? Let me try again. Why thank you, dear Ruth!

I love all the same one you did. I always enjoy walking by the array of chairs and observe something new each time I visit. Pat Miller's chair was a treat to see.

The Filoli ladies did a great job channeling Albert Bierstadt in their arrangement. It was a perfect extension of the painting, down to the play of light.

I'm so glad you like Wendy's design; she is a fantastic teacher.

Thank you for patiently waiting for the next posts. I gave you a little nugget on Wordless Wednesday.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear mellissashook,
I love your rebel presence here at Dutchbaby! The Citicorp/JP Morgan entry was the first overt editorial submission I have ever seen at Bouquets to Art. It will be interesting to see if it begins a trend.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Kala,
We are so fortunate to be able to visit this show every year.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Ginnie,
I do love being called DB by you.

Eye candy is exactly what it is, with beautiful bouquets of fragrance.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear MAWB,
I'm very happy to hear that you are well but also sad that you got laid off. It sounded like you were doing some important work for the school and I dearly hope that there will be more funding to hire you again in the fall. I love that you are using the time wisely with creative pursuits. I look forward to reading about them on your blog.

Maybe you can make some flower arrangements to match your paintings :)

Dutchbaby said...

Dear lisaschaos,
Thank you for coming along on my tour. There is still more to go...

Sherri said...

Really love those chairs and the floral arrangement in the chair. Very interesting.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Susan,
Yes, the air is filled with the scent and moisture of all the flowers - quite glorious.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Velva,
My pleasure entirely!

Dutchbaby said...

Dear California Girl,
I believe this show is worth a plane ride, but then I'm a nut about these things. Please let me know if you ever come out to see it. It is usually held in March. This year they postponed it to April, I think because of the King Tut exhibit.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Relyn,
You make me smile at your indecision to choose a favorite. I think it's nearly impossible. It's probably the reason why this show has never been a judged show.

I have often liked the flowers better than the art work. At the same time, the flowers have sometimes brought attention to a work I never really noticed before. I think that's why I like Derby's piece so much. I never noticed the brilliant hues blue in Kent's painting until she created this little gem.

Dutchbaby said...

Dear Postcards and Coasters,
Wouldn't it be great to have a full-sized chair like that on a porch?

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