Nature has all the time been a topic of fascination for Clara Lacy, who roamed the fields and streams round her house in Hampshire when she was younger, spurring an curiosity in learning biology. Artwork additionally emerged as a means for her to channel her curiosity in animals and crops, tapping into the long-held custom of artists documenting wildlife for science.
As she moved round to completely different elements of the world, with stints in Hong Kong and Sydney earlier than returning to the U.Ok., Lacy absorbed every place’s variations in botanical life, climate, and lightweight, inspiring a physique of labor that displays on local weather change, species loss, and “the necessity to discover steadiness between people and nature,” she says.
The World Has Dropped Its Petals is a collection of elaborately detailed graphite drawings illuminating the world of flowers. In closely contrasted grayscale, the blooms are devoid of the intense colours we usually affiliate with their petals and foliage, as a substitute highlighted by an array of textures and naturally occurring patterns.
“I’ve all the time been drawn to monotone work for its delicate tonal variations, providing a distinction to the bombardment of color and lightweight round us, all vying for our consideration,” Lacy tells Colossal. She was drawn to graphite as a result of its restricted palette helps the topic to face out by contrasts like delicate strains or deep blacks. She’s additionally fascinated about how graphite is usually missed in advantageous artwork, categorized usually as a sketching materials somewhat than a standalone medium.
Lacy titles her items after characters in Greek delusion like Thanatos, the personification of dying, and twin brothers Nyx (Night time) and Hypnos (Sleep). She makes use of her personal photographs for reference, collaging and layering parts in Photoshop till she finds an general composition that resonates. The World Has Dropped Its Petals attracts inspiration from stills lifes of the Dutch Golden Age, too, characterised by darkish backgrounds from which flowers or fruit seem to pop in brilliance.
The collection is on view by April 13 at James Gorst Architects in London. Lacy has additionally began engaged on a brand new mission exploring time and ageing, which emphasizes zoomed-in views of flower fragments. Discover extra on the artist’s website and Instagram.
