SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE OF PLANTS
WILMINGTON, DE (January 11, 2012) – The Delaware Art Museum is pleased to present Beyond
Words: The Symbolic Language of Plants, an exhibition of approximately 60 works in various media that
emphasize the historic and symbolic meanings of plants. On view February 4 through April 8, 2012,
Beyond Words – which was created by a group of D.C.-based artists known as Studio 155 – is part of the
Museum’s Outlooks Exhibition Series.
Members of the press are invited to a special breakfast reception and artist tour of Beyond Words on
Saturday, February 4 at 10:00 a.m. Please RSVP to Molly Keresztury at mkeresztury@delart.org by
Thursday, February 2.
About Beyond Words
Beyond Words is inspired by artists’ use of plants as symbols across cultures and throughout history. In
the ancient world, Roman artists used roses to represent Venus, the goddess of love; Egyptian art
connected the lily to Isis, the goddess of fertility; and Asian art included lotus flowers to convey beauty.
Plant symbolism reached a high point in Medieval Christian art when religious craftsmen and artists used
plants to explain the meaning of church parables and doctrine to a largely illiterate population. The lily
and rose, for example, were used to denote perfect purity and love. Inspired by Medieval artistic quality,
the Victorian Pre-Raphaelite artists revived the use of this ancient plant language to provide additional
layers of meaning in their paintings.
This exhibition, which includes over 60 works in watercolor, oil, tempera, and colored pencil, features a
variety of symbolic natural subjects – flowers and trees, fruits and vegetables, and herbs and vines. For
example, Wendy Cortesi’s whimsical watercolor Pumpkin recalls Dia de los Muertos, the Hispanic tradition of Day of the Dead and the autumn season; Neena Birch’s painting Rose symbolizes ancient
spiritual contemplation and centering; and White Oak by Michael Rawson stands for strength and
endurance.
About Studio 155
The 17 artists of Studio 155 all reside and work in the Washington D.C. area. Their collaboration began
during the 2006 Corcoran Gallery of Art exhibition Botanical Treasures of Lewis and Clark. Since then,
they have continued to paint as a group in a shared studio and show their work together in Washingtonarea galleries. Their mission is to realistically capture the natural world while expanding the boundaries of
botanical art.
Studio 155 members have participated in numerous widely-celebrated projects and exhibitions. Wendy
Cortesi created a series of watercolors depicting Camp David’s native plants for First Lady Laura Bush;
Roberta Bernstein, Vicki Malone, Kappy Prosch, and Eva-Maria Ruhl joined Cortesi to illustrate the 2010
White House Holiday Tour Book; Cortesi, Malone, Debbie Bankert, and Eileen Malone-Brown
contributed plant portraits for Monticello’s 2009 Lucy Meriwether Lewis Marks exhibition; and Debbie
Bankert is currently working on a series of projects in the Columbian rainforest.
Learn more about Studio 155 at www.studioonefiftyfive.blogspot.com.
About the Outlooks Exhibition Series
Beyond Words: The Symbolic Language of Plants is part of the Delaware Art Museum’s Outlooks
Exhibition Series, which encourages community involvement in the creation of exhibitions that will be
hosted by the Museum. The Delaware Art Museum accepts proposals for Outlooks exhibitions from
organizations, community groups, and residents of the surrounding area, contributing to the Museum’s
mission of providing an inclusive and essential community resource. All Outlooks exhibitions are
displayed in the Ammon Galleries on the Museum’s second floor. For more information, please visit
www.delart.org/exhibitions/outlooks/index.html.
About the Delaware Art Museum
The Delaware Art Museum, located at 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806, is open
Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday noon – 4:00 p.m. Admission fees are
charged as follows: Adults (19 – 59) $12, Seniors (60+) $10, Students (with valid ID) $6, Youth (7 – 18)
$6, and Children (6 and under) free. Admission fees are waived every Sunday. For more information, call
302-571-9590 or 866-232-3714 (toll free), or visit the website at www.delart.org Founded in 1912, the Delaware Art Museum is best known for its large collection of British
Pre-Raphaelite art, works by Wilmington-native Howard Pyle and fellow American illustrators, and urban
landscapes by John Sloan and his circle.Visitors can also enjoy the outdoor Copeland Sculpture Garden
and a number of exhibitions throughout the year.
# # #The Delaware Art Museum is presening an exhibition of approximately 60 works in various media that emphasize the historic and symbolic meanings of plants.
On view through April 8, 2012, Beyond Words: The Symbolic Language of Plants – which was created by a group of DC — based artists known as Studio 155 — is part of the Museum’s Outlooks Exhibition Series.
Beyond Words is inspired by artists’ use of plants as symbols across cultures and throughout history. In the ancient world, Roman artists used roses to represent Venus, the goddess of love; Egyptian art connected the lily to Isis, the goddess of fertility; and Asian art included lotus flowers to convey beauty.
Plant symbolism reached a high point in Medieval Christian art when religious craftsmen and artists used plants to explain the meaning of church parables and doctrine to a largely illiterate population. The lily and rose, for example, were used to denote perfect purity and love.
Inspired by Medieval artistic quality, the Victorian Pre-Raphaelite artists revived the use of this ancient plant language to provide additional layers of meaning in their paintings. This exhibition, which includes over 60 works in watercolor, oil, tempera, and colored pencil, features a variety of symbolic natural subjects – flowers and trees, fruits and vegetables, and herbs and vines.
For example, Wendy Cortesi’s whimsical watercolor Pumpkin recalls Dia de los Muertos, the Hispanic tradition of Day of the Dead and the autumn season; Neena Birch’s painting Rose symbolizes ancient spiritual contemplation and centering; and White Oak by Michael Rawson stands for strength and endurance.
About Studio 155: The 17 artists of Studio 155 all reside and work in the Washington D.C. area. Their collaboration began during the 2006 Corcoran Gallery of Art exhibition Botanical Treasures of Lewis and Clark. Since then, they have continued to paint as a group in a shared studio and show their work together in Washingtonarea galleries. Their mission is to realistically capture the natural world while expanding the boundaries of botanical art.
Editor’s Note: The Oxford Journals’ Journal of Experimental Botany published a series, Symbolism of plants: examples of European-Mediterranean culture presented with biology and history of art. The journal addressing the month of March and the plants Silphion and Narthex can be read online:
“There are two conspicuous herbaceous perennials of the Mediterranean and western Asia that impress with their enormous resurgence each year from dormant rootstocks and thus function as symbols of reactivation and perseverance. Silphion and narthex develop with tall inflorescences over large tufts of finely divided leaves. Little wonder they became symbols of the Goddess Aphrodite.”
Images:
1. Centering, 2010. Neena Birch. Oil on canvas, Triptych, 48 x 24 inches each panel. Lent by the artist.
2. Camellia: Luck, Perfection and Loveliness, 2011. Betsy Kelly. Oil on canvas, painted wood frame in oil, 22 x 16 inches. Lent by the artist.
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