Franco Reguero

Even In Death Flowers Still Bloom

Even In Death Flowers Still Bloom

My work in this exhibition follows the themes of “Memento Mori” and the ideas behind the abstract meaning of flowers with the recurring visuals of flowers and bones. All flowers have some kind of meaning to them ranging from beauty to youth to life and death which expand from culture to culture depending on the flower. With the bones within the pieces the themes of “Memento Mori” are also apparent, a reminder of death and its inevitability. I find these themes interesting and how they can become combined since both are abstract concepts with definitive meanings behind them.

My inspiration for this exhibition arose from my interest in nature as where I currently live there are multiple potted plants ranging from snake plants to orchids. Being surrounded by plants always got me interested in how they look as I would find myself staring at them for short periods of time appreciating their beauty with their vibrant colors and the way the flowers bloom. The interest in “Memento Mori” and bones came from outside sources such as other art pieces I might find or stories which bring up themes of death, though it is not as strong as my interest in nature. Artists such as Guno Park with her drawings of bones and plants in her pencil cross hatched style and the more abstract and ethereal paintings of Alexis Diaz also helped further my theme of the abstractness of my pieces.

The artworks I have selected to be part of my exhibition all represent the themes of the meanings of flowers and the idea of “Memento Mori”. With the space provided to me I should be able to fit all of my pieces in one area, I will try to keep the area well lit so that viewers may see what I have made. Almost all of the works I have selected are 2D works with the exception of the required 3D artwork they are all placed together within site of each other so that all of my viewers may see them.

Almost all my artworks are 2D pieces on paper with one in watercolor and the rest in pencil and pen. The reasoning for this is to bring focus onto the themes of memento mori, especially with the pencil and pen artwork since the flowers are in a black and white along with the bones this shows . The one using watercolor was chosen as the main theme behind it is the legend of “La garito del diablo” an urban legend regarding the mysterious disappearances of guards during the 1800s. All works are chosen based on their themes which all follow the overall theme of the exhibition, which as stated previously is the abstract meaning of flowers and the idea of memento mori.

Franco Reguero