Alice – Artistic muse

Annie’s floral art explores the history and significance of flowers from a Victorian garden. The work invites discussion around ecology, biodiversity, the history and language of flowers and the role women have played in this narrative. 

 

Alice is the artistic muse through which Annie tells these stories. She is loosely based on the first chatelaine of Roselyn – Alice Hancock (nee Wilding) – but Alice is a figment of Annie’s imagination; part biographical and part historical.

 

Since 2021 Annie has developed an interactive installation based on a Victorian parlour showcasing her floral art. Seen through Alice’s eyes, we learn about her garden, her flowers, their history, and their significance leading to two exhibitions: Alice – from parlour to garden (2022) and Alice – conversations with flowers (2023). 

 

Each exhibition is made of two parts. Floral Portraits, a visual florilegium of her garden; and the Night Gardens, multi-layered photographs of native everlastings and endemic moths. Highly reminiscent of the style of the Dutch floral masters Annie’s art echo their symbolism, depictions of flowers, Vanitas themes and chiascuro effect all created and edited on her iPhone.

 

Alice invites us into her parlour.  She wants her guests to immerse themselves in her world and engage in conversations about her garden (circa 1887).  Why were these gardens so important to women like her? What impact did they have on native biodiversity? What was gained and lost by their cultivation? Through art, food, flowers and scent she bids you to consider these topics at your leisure.