As Gertrude Stein once said, a rose is a rose…but the flowers in Bloom are far more than that. They are created of oil and watercolor, fabric and photograph, sculptural and quilt, mixed media and magic.
Curator Kristine Schomaker, in the second 2024 iteration of the return of her in-person Shoebox Projects gallery space, has created a wild and brilliant juried group show, walls radiant with stunning images of rich fecundity and gracious petals.
This is a garden of art, and it is a sweet one. You can almost smell the scents of these blossoms, you can almost touch the rich and silky petals. Dip your dreams into these dewy blossoms and find the fragrance of blissful beauty if you will – or simply admire the amazingly unique, original, and lush interpretations of Bloom.
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”– Frances Hodgson Burnett
Above, a splendid “Hibiscus” in close up by Caley O’Dwyer bursts with vibrant color.
Annie Seaton’s fabric garden is ablaze in light and embossed with sewn-in jewels, above.
Below, Kira Vollman’s mixed media includes 3D sculptural flowers made from fine metal mesh – copper, brass, and steel – and photography, to shape a delicate floral dreamscape.
From the dazzling swirls and kaleidoscopic wonder of Karen Hochman Brown to the heightened realism of Lauren Mendelsohn Bass, the delicacy of Nurit Avesar’s work, and the rich grace of Dellis Frank’s, there is something growing on these walls to soothe every soul.
The exhibiting artists include: Shula Arbel, Nurit Avesar, Zadie Baker, Jane Bauman, Holly Boruck, Patricia Branstead, Anne M Bray, Rachel Bunteman, Corinne Cobabe, Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja, S. Emily de Araujo, Estefania Farias, Liz Flynn and Alyssa Arney, Dellis Frank, Carole Goldman, Damien Gossett, Tara Graviss White, Edwin Grundman, Karen Hochman Brown, Alison Hyman, Nicola Katsikis, Amanda Koger, Cristi Lyon, Monica R Marks, Katrina McElroy, Rena McInerney Olk, Martha Meade, Lauren Mendelsohn Bass, Masha Metamorph, Katie Middleton, Kris Moore, Heather Morrow, Marisa Murrow, Melanie Nolen, Caley O’Dwyer, Jennifer Ogden, Julie O’sullivan, Lark Larisa Pilinsky, Melissa Reischman, Katherine Rohrbacher, Terry Romero Paul, Annie Seaton, Shilla Shakoori, Karen Sikie, Phoebe Silva, Mahara Sinclaire, Elizabeth Souza, Nancy Spiller, Barbara Spiller, Carol Steinberg, Emily Sudd, Debbi Swanson Patrick, Kira Vollman, Robin Ward, and Liberty Worth.
As Schomaker says “Whether walking in a garden, planting your own, receiving them from friends or lovers, viewing delicious Renaissance flower paintings or walking through the flower market in DTLA, flowers bring joy and happiness to our internal and external worlds. Flowers are symbols of strength, longevity, grace, balance and abundance. We need more flowers right now.”
There are certainly plenty in Bloom at Shoebox Projects. Closing is 3-5 pm on February the 25th with gallery hours by appointment on additional days. Shoebox Projects is located in The Brewery Lofts complex in Lincoln Heights.
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- Genie Davis; photos by Genie Davis