Year: 2018-2022
Dimensions: 16’ x 16’ x 10’
Medium/ Technique: Thread/ Machine Embroidery
Poppies explores the fleeting nature of this emblematic flower by rendering and preserving the moment of the poppy in bloom through thread. This installation invites viewers to walk underneath a suspended poppy field, shifting the traditional perspective of a garden and creating a surreal moment suspended in time. The work engages the multiple associations and symbolism of poppies—from sleep and healing to remembrance and death—while also referencing the repeat patterning found on floral fabrics and wallpapers. What began as a commission of one hundred flowers, hanging and photographed to commemorate the centenary of the First World War’s end, has expanded into hundreds of embroidered poppies hung upside down from the ceiling, creating a dreamlike environment where these delicate forms become keepsakes, memories, and tender reminders of life, time, and space.
The poppy has long captivated gardeners with its colourful varieties and showy blossoms, yet it carries deeper cultural weight as a symbol laden with meaning. One can imagine cheerfully frolicking through these poppies or pausing to commemorate a fallen warrior; perhaps even lying on the floor and looking up at this lush meadow will cause one to drift into slumber—after all, poppies loomed large in the Land of Oz. This mysterious field is not created to unsettle but to draw viewers in, spark curiosity, and encourage engagement. The diaphanous installation skillfully plays with associations of duality, presenting an alternative perspective to both drawing and embroidery—where delicate thread structures capture the ephemeral beauty of blooms that exist only briefly in nature, now preserved and monumentalized in a floating garden that invites contemplation of beauty, loss, and remembrance.
Photographs by Cheryl Rondeau
This work has been included in the following exhibitions:
Exhibition and Award: Young Masters Art Prize
Exhibition: Memento @ AH! Arts & Heritage Centre
Exhibition: Poppies @ Gallery Stratford
