FLORAL STILL LIFES

The unnatural blue color found in orchids has always captivated Dylan Eno’a interest, leading him to embark on an ongoing project that aims to compare the use of color in flower representations from the 17th century with that of the present day.

Various factors influenced color use during the 17th century, such as the weather and the availability of pigments. This is in stark contrast to today's abundance of color, particularly on screens, where companies have control over the colors we see. Our experience of color is largely influenced by our own environment and frame of reference. By creating a series of digital images, Eno’s goal is to demonstrate how companies deliberately manipulate color use, and how this effects back to flowers available in floral shops.

To kickstart the project, Eno used the preserved flowers designed for Ronald van der Kemp's Spring 22 Couture collection as a starting point. These flowers were synthetically preserved, resulting in increased color saturation. Subsequently, they underwent additional digital processing by 3D scanning the flowers using the photogrammetry method.

Year

2023+

Discipline

Image making, flower preservation

Collaboration

Ronald van der Kemp

In the 17th century, the colors used in floral still lifes were constrained by the limited range of pigments available to painters, while the flowers depicted were constrained by the seasons and weather. It is intriguing to consider how these limitations actually influenced the flowers that were sold in stores.

A small brooch made in collaboration with Ronald van der Kemp, using synthetically preserved flowers that were discarded by Hotel de l'Europe. The brooch was 3D scanned in order to digitally preserve it, and the colors have been artificially saturated far beyond what is naturally possible. Despite this, the colors are still not as saturated as the blue orchids that are available in floral stores.

Process photo of Ronald van der Kemp's wardrobe 15

Floral headwear made in collaboration with Ronald van der Kemp, using synthetically preserved flowers that were discarded by Hotel de l'Europe. The brooch was 3D scanned in order to digitally preserve it, and the colors have been artificially saturated far beyond what is naturally possible. Despite this, the colors are still not as saturated as the blue orchids that are available in floral stores.

Behind the stage photo of Ronald van der Kemp's Wardrobe 15.

Polaroid collection of all the floral jewelry of Ronald van der Kemps' Wardrobe 15 collection by Ferry van der Nat.

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