Zoe Bradley + Galeria Melissa- Neon Garden
When Bradley was asked to collaborate with Galeria Melissa in Covent Garden she saw the potential to bring the new element of film to her work. Melissa’s DNA is encoded with an obsession with the new and revolutionary; challenging and reinventing itself in each collection, thus echoed in Bradley's own thoughts.
Photography by Melvyn Vincent
As the gallery stands central in the centre of Covent garden's iconic old flower market it. The shoe store with adjacent gallery means that Art is for all and the visitors that come to the store can have a window into the art world.
Bradley's idea behind the installation was to create an exotic garden, celebrating the feminine, architectural forms of flowers. It was important that the scale of the garden was oversized so the petals towered above the viewer.
Photography by Melvyn Vincent
The hot neon colour underpins the floral textile with accent colours such as fuchsia pink, pastel lilacs and deep plum which all open and bloom into a kaleidoscopic explosion of colour.
Photography by Melvyn Vincent
The Lotus flower is the ‘hero’ flower of the piece and was used to give the floral textile and accompanying animated film the narrative behind the installation.
This Lotus flower has come to be associated with purity and beauty in the religions of Buddhism and Hinduism.
A Quote Bradley found says:
‘I thought it was very interesting how the open flower and the unopened Lotus bud forms are associated with human traits. The unopened bud is representative of a folded soul that has the ability to unfold and open itself up.’
Photography by Melvyn Vincent
When you visit the Gallery you are greeted from the doorway with a neon suspended Lotus flower in the entrance with a backdrop of a kaleidoscopic floral animation.
Our collaborators Swhype worked tirelessly on the animation of this 3minute loop sequence to Bradley's creative direction. Working directly with the patterns and filmed 3D hand-sculpted creation of each ZB paper flower. This backdrop of blossoming flowers added a magical element to the exhibition.
Photography by Melvyn Vincent
As you continue down the stairs you enter a room vinyl wrapped in a hot neon oasis of flowers in a variety of oriental styles. A second lotus flower rotates on the floor echoing the motion of a flower opening upon a pond.
Bradley says:
"My work is drawn from nature and the natural rhythms in nature. There is always an element of symmetry in my work, from the floral elements to the overall silhouette of the piece. I look for balance and natural patterns. I work rather instinctively with the paper than mathematically; the flow of the piece is important to me so there is life and movement in the silhouette."
400 hand-sculpted flowers we're created from Bradley's studio and sculpted into a series of landscapes that we're photographed by Arthur Woodcroft and stitched together to form a large scale wall vinyl. The artistry ran through this collaboration right down to the piecing together of the details of the vinyl.
Bradley's idea to turn the flowers into a vinyl wallpaper ment that the scale of the paper flowers could be used in a larger format that usual creating even more drama to the scale of her work.
There are many layers to this exhibition, but the development of large wallpaper design is a new exciting avenue for Bradley one that you should see more developments over the coming year!