‘The Secret Life of Plants’ and ‘Poiesis’ exhibitions took place at Winterbourne House and Garden, University of Birmingham, Birmingham (https://www.winterbourne.org.uk/) March - September 2023.

The Secret Life of Plants

This series comprises of abstract and semi-abstract paintings and drawing reflecting on the colours, energies and forms experienced by flora. For many decades I have listened to Stevie Wonder’s seminal album ‘Secret Life of Plants’, an inspiration for the series fuelled by my association with Winterbourne for over fifteen years and the plants and specimens in its gardens and Herbarium archives.

Poiesis

I created this series of small metal sculptures in 2013 -15, whilst completing an MFA at Goldsmiths University, London. Whilst creating the sculptures I was thinking about nature, organic growth, as well as how structural, architectonic forms emerge. I visited gardens frequently whilst exhibiting ‘Cogn:I’ (2015), and later ‘Jazz Geometries’ (2017) in Winterbourne’s gallery.

Philosophically, I became intrigued by the meaning of the word ‘poiesis’ and its creative application.

 ‘poiesis, the blooming of the blossom, the coming-out of a butterfly from a cocoon, the plummeting of a waterfall when the snow begins to melt… a threshold occasion: a moment of ecstasis when something moves away from its standing as one thing to become another… the unfolding of a thing out of itself, as being discloses or gathers from nothing…’ Martin Heidegger 

In terms of process, the metal sculptures were created organically, spontaneously and without pre-design. They ‘grew’, whilst my mind was focusing on flora - growth of stems, petals, seeds and roots. As an architect I often reflected on form, function. and material. ‘Poiesis’, I believe, happens when deep knowledge and experience unfolds in a spontaneous outpouring, an effusion.

Winterbourne House and its history with metal manufacturing and fabrication company GKN (Guest, Keen and Nettlefold) was the perfect setting for presenting these works - where organic, floral forms meet metal engineering and fabrication.