Plants as Art

Turning plants into art

A Curved Leaf Gallery Exhibition

In summer 2022, Curved Leaf traveled to Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina to install an art exhibition. Featuring an interactive installation, video, performance, and our planters and trellises, it was an exercise in joyful catharsis. Here’s a look at the show!

Bamboo trellis in gallery with plants handmade natural boho decor

Trellis Heaven

I wondered if I put enough trellises in a gallery if it would become art. The answer is yes, yes it does! And it only took 24 Globe Trellises and 27 Endless Circle Trellises!

Installing the Wall

This piece was all about hope, rebirth, and hard work! I wanted to give Curved Leaf’s best seller, the Endless Circle Trellis, a place to shine, but with with the South Carolina sun, the plants stole the show! Everything was shipped to the gallery flat and assembled on site. The plants were locally purchased and I imagine they were sad to be de-installed and live in my comparatively dark and isolated living room.

Bamboo trellis in gallery plant art with pothos

Bamboo rings for globe trellis and endless circle trellis for indoor plants

Bamboo handmade endless circle trellis for indoor climbing plants natural boho minimal style

The finished product!

Here are all the trellis pieces from the show…I still can’t decide which is my favorite!

Handmade bamboo circle trellis for indoor plants pothos vine natural boho decor

Handmade bamboo circle trellis for indoor plants pothos vine natural boho decor With Upcycled wall hanging planter

Custom Striped Junk Drawer Memory Terrarium dried floral art home decor

But wait, there’s more!

naturally, a few dried floral pieces made their way into the exhibition…and inspired the creation of our Memory Terrariums.

Like most parents, I had a hard time letting go of those baby and toddler years. I found myself keeping small mementos such as Montessori blocks or small ornaments. For this exhibition, I combined these objects with dried floral to turn these small memories into art.

Custom Striped Junk Drawer Memory Terrarium colorful dried floral art

Processing trauma thru Art

Art therapy with flowers!

Custom Dried Floral Framed Memory Terrarium colorful dried floral art

Rather, than being preserved, like the memories of my children, these pieces served to deal with trauma. Issues of domestic violence and the decline of my health are present in the multitude of materials I used and making them was a very healing process, as art can be. To say I felt vulnerable revealing these works in the gallery would have been an understatement !

Artificial flower art cottage core decor

Hourglass figure woman print domestic violence Art with dried flowers — This work was my most vulnerable piece…can you tell why?! Using a canvas printed photo, my engagement ring, dried forget-me-nots, and real eggshells, it speaks for itself.

Instagram background = art?

Accent

Playing upon ideas of representation and art in the 21st century, I created this interactive installation. It was designed specifically for viewers to take perfectly formatted Instagram photos in front of it. In the post-pandemic world, it’s my assertion that the audience needs to be a part of the show, otherwise, there’s no need to leave the house!