Jan Castle Walker

BLOOM & FOLLY

Out of the ashes comes new growth

Out of the ashes a blade of green appears

The layers of human history seem like the ashes

The good the bad the ugly all become ashes

Beauty, the blade of grass, the jungle rises above the carnage

Here now the flower blooms

The flower bloomed

The blooming was sculpted by bees, sun, dirt, water.

The blooming was seen.

Abundance

For the last two years, I have focused on the intersection of ephemeral beauty, the flower, and the unforeseen consequences of human actions. I use symbolic references to past eras: The Frank’s Casket, dogs from the Lindisfarne Gospels, First Nation embroidery, and Bruegel’s morality characters, to name a few. In artistic acts of beauty, these historical markers depict how human perseverance can overcome difficult circumstances. For me, the relationship between flowers and history symbolizes resilience. I am reminded that even though fleeting, a flower is also eternal, regenerative, and sustainable.