For the final show at 1288 15th Avenue before extensive renovations, Problem Library invited Erin Miller of The Floral Times to create an installation. The event was also a chance for the community to celebrate our space’s transition into something new.
Flowers are revered for their captivating colors, intoxicating smells, and the hope embodied in their blooming. These characteristics of youthful beauty are paramount, and our fascination wanes as the natural cycle of decay becomes visible until, finally, we discard the plant, its presence now a reminder of the cycle of decay we all go through.
After Decay explores how we can refuse to accept decay as an ending and instead see it as the pathway to a new beginning. The exhibition uses a wide range of plants in varying stages of decay to explore new ways of moving with these objects of beauty. From foraged to picked flowers and plants, After Decay shines light on the ruinous cycles of life while pointing towards a deep appreciation for embracing decay as the soil of a brighter future.
Erin Miller has built a floral practice, The Floral Times, designing remarkable arrangements for weddings and events with an eye towards romanticism and color. For After Decay, Miller looked at new ways to work in her medium, by exploring the usually hidden side of flora. She was particularly interested in how to use what is normally discarded, embracing change in all its forms.
Thank you to all who joined us at the opening reception.
