Floral Design by Yukiko

Here is Yukiko’s original floral bouquet to the Peruvian antiquity known by the lengthy title “Male Shrine Figure, Peru, Chimu Culture 12 – 15th Century.”

 

Peruvian archaeologists have a much longer story to go with this Shrine Figure of algarroba wood and red cinnabar.  The de Young tells it this way:

“Male and female shrine figures [have] been unearthed in the palace compounds and monumental burial platforms of Chan Chan, the capital of the vast Chimu Empire.  The number of these figures at royal sites indicates that they must have been important.  Archaeologists believe that these figures accompanied the kings of Chimu in ceremonial processions that took place either during their lifetime or at their death…

“…The figures…wear varied headdresses that correspond to the headdresses worn by ceramic figures on Chimu vessels.  This figure may be holding a flute between its hands, poised as if ready to play a melody.  The geometric patterns found in the figure’s headdress, necklace and earplugs, and zig-zag loincloth are similar to the geometric patterns found on the bold architectural relief of Chan Chan.”

Closeup, high resolution images of this shrine figure are shown in the FAMSF image base.  

This year’s Bouquets to Art, April 20-24, is featured on its own website.

Yukiko Promotes Bouquets to Art in the San Francisco Financial District

Design eight feet tall installed on site in the early morning before visitors enter  –  pink dogwood blossoms and black bamboo arise with harakeke from the euphobia, amaranthus and oriental lilies.

Another view of the early morning’s work:

If you’re in The City this week, stop by Wells Fargo, 464 California Street and see it live.

In the run-up to the Bouquets to Art exhibition at the de Young, Yukiko has also been assigned to create a floral design at the Wells Fargo Bank head office in San Francisco. 

As soon as it is installed there, we will publish photographs of it here – sooner rather than later.

Today I went to the de Young to choose the placement of my floral design.

They let us in the de Young Museum when it’s closed. That’s when I pick out the art pieces that inspire my floral design for the Bouquets to Art exhibition, April 20-24.

I choose five pieces of art and wait to hear from the coordinator which one will be assigned to me this year.

The decision reaches me in April, so I have only a week or so to conceive my design and gather materials.  

This is my ninth year and I have kept a photographic record of my Museum designs on my website.

Again this year, I will post the details of my new design here in my blog, so follow along.

Yukiko

Winter’s Festival by Willard Leroy Metcalf, 1913

Bouquets to Art has assigned me to design my bouquet to this American Impressionist painting, Winter’s Festival.
This winter scene by Willard Metcalf shows an unusual and elusive color technique. When you look at it in person, the snow veils the green and russet colors of the landscape.
Yet, digital images of the painting in the de Young museum’s database (and elsewhere on the internet) strip aside most of the white snow and reveal harmonies of color and details of the wild. So, I wondered, “what’s going on here?”

Reading further into the internet commentary, I learned that Willard Metcalf was influenced by both Claude Monet (he visited Monet in Givenchy) and James Abbott McNeil Whistler. I see the Monet influence in Metcalf’s treatments of the russets and greens (especially apparent in the digital catalog images) and the influence of Whistler in the veil of snow when you see the original oil painting hung on the museum wall.

So, here’s my plan for the design of my bouquet to this piece of art: I will think about it while I collect winter branches, leaves and flowers. I have until March 16th to get it right.

Meanwhile, you may want to check out Willard Leroy Metcalf’s Winter’s Festival in the Image Base of the San Francisco Fine Arts Museums or use the software of the Amica Library.

They let us in the de Young Museum when it’s closed. That’s when I pick out the art pieces that inspire my floral design for the Bouquets to Art exhibition, March 16-20.

I choose five pieces of art and wait to hear from the coordinator which one will be assigned to me this year — my eighth. The official word reaches me in March, so I have only a week or so to conceive my design and gather materials.

This year, I will post the design details here in my blog, so follow along and Ask Yukiko when you have comments.

Want to know more?

Check out Yukiko’s Bouquet To Chihuly’s glass sculpture.

Other exhibitions at the de Young in March include the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition. Maybe your last chance to see this one.

And the Bouquets to Art exhibition will preview on Monday evening, March 16th at its gala in the de Young. It’s the best opportunity to see all the Bouquets to Art at their best. I always go.