As a multi-disciplinary artist that does not confine in one genre, I often create a transitional piece that links two different bodies of work together. Marigold was created after The Dot Project (a body of works experimenting with circles) and was the first of Urban Flora (a series of floral creations against an urban background).
Childhood memories surface as I remember seeing marigolds in both my grandmothers' gardens, planted for their saturated color and for their pest deterrent quality. I never liked their smell but was always intrigued by the folds of their petals that look almost like crushed paper. This artwork was a visual quest to recreate the memory of the mixed feelings this little flower had embedded in me. I took it out of proportion by depicting it larger than life, and like my previous Dot project I placed it in the center of my canvas. Crushed crayons were used to depict the "crushed" petals I saw in my childhood.
I am always interested in the symbolism of things and marigold has mixed symbolism, just like my childhood feelings of it:
-Beauty and warmth of the rising sun
-Creativity and drive to succeed
-Desire for wealth
-Sacred offerings to the Gods
-Remembering and celebrating the dead
-Promoting cheer and good relations