Evensong and compline are prayers for end of the day. There is peace, refuge, and restoration in dwelling in and creating art from the natural world. Beauty in nature may open our heart like a blossom. Contemplation allows us to gaze at something for a long time, to look for the Divine and wander in wonder.
My Welcomed Enigma series is a contemplative examination of the garden as a timeless place to dwell, refresh, and reflect upon the profound beauty of the plants that surround us. Exquisite and luscious details of these simple garden flowers instill wonder. I ’m fascinated by the colors, scents, textures, and attributes of plants. They are both fragile and ephemeral yet return year after year. Most of the plants in this exhibition are from typical New England gardens grown by me or family and friends.
These scan-o-grams are not made with a traditional camera. The process recalls darkroom days, where we made photograms by placing an object on light sensitive paper and shone light on it to reveal shadows. Here, the plant material is arranged on the glass scanner bed. The scanner ’s beam provides even illumination, capturing the objects as they lay on the glass.
I found inspirations for these works in both Japanese and Dutch traditions; the Japanese tea hut that displays a single blossom for contemplation of the current season, the
Bird-and-Flower scrolls of Ito Jakuchu, as well as Japanese Ikebana floral design, and the iconic floral still life of the Dutch Masters.
Gardening is a renewed passion for me, I became a Massachusetts Master Gardener in 2015. In addition to inspiring my art, gardening allows me to contribute to my environment and community in a positive, meaningful and beautiful manner.
Mary Kocol : A Welcomed Enigma : The Botanica Series
March 6 – 28
Gallery NAGA
67 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
http://marykocol.com/botanica.htm
https://www.gallerynaga.com/exhibition-archives/mary-kocol-a-welcomed-enigma/
