Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Anne Ten Donkelaar’s Flower Constructions

Search

Anne Ten Donkelaar’s Flower Constructions

April 3, 2012

The delicate pressed flower and paper creations of Dutch artist Anne ten Donkelaar function as three-dimensional gardens for the wall.

As a young girl, Donkelaar was obsessed wtih flowers: "I was fascinated by the many colors and forms they took, " she says. Now, she plucks and presses flowers in her home city of Amsterdam, then mixes the specimens with floral pictures she's cut out. She mounts the various components using thin pins of different heights, a technique that gives the resulting constructed collages dimension and depth. "The shapes of the plants themselves are the inspiration," she says. "That, and the fact that I'm always fascinated by fragile things." Indeed, in addition to her Flower Constructions, she has also created a series called Broken Butterflies in which she repairs, reimagines, and mounts deceased butterflies.

Anne Ten Donkelaars Flower Constructions portrait 3

Above: The various flowers pinned behind glass evoke scientific collections of plant specimens, which is exactly what Donkelaar intended. "I wanted to create an imaginary herbarium of flowers," she says.

Anne Ten Donkelaars Flower Constructions portrait 4

Above: "My favorite part of the artistic process is collecting the materials and creating the composition," Donkelaar says.

anne ten donkelaar 4

Above: Part of the beauty of these collages is that from a distance—and even up close—it's difficult to tell where the real flowers leave off and the paper portions begin.

anne ten donkelaar 5

Above: Rather than focusing just on the bloom, Donkelaar likes to replicate the whole flower. "If it doesn't have the roots, it isn't complete," she says. "It's like a person without a brain."

Anne Ten Donkelaars Flower Constructions portrait 7

Above: Most of the works shown on Donkelaar's website have already been sold, but she is currently at work on a new set of pieces. Contact Donkelaar directly for more information and pricing.

(Visited 388 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

v5.0