If you visit the Queens Botanical Garden this summer of 2020, you will see three thought-provoking, large and colorful outdoor installations spread among various trees in the Garden. These works of art are by the artist Cecilia André and they are composed of transparent net-like pieces as a ground with numerous areas of colored vinyl shapes sewn into those nets. The colored pieces are placed in various non-uniform areas and on sunny days the sunlight filtering through the colored shapes causes different shadows which are thrown on the ground at unpredictable places. The wind moves the nets and the shadows move with the wind. The result is a moving tapestry of sunlight and shadows, all caused by the placement of the colored shapes in the nets.
These works by Cecilia are entitled Rainbow Squared, Breaking Waves and Blossom and they are placed in different parts of the Garden. Rainbow Squared is situated in the midst of the crabapple tree orchard, above the head of the observer. The colors are those of the spectrum of a rainbow while the uncolored parts of the work produce the effect of white light, which in physics, is made up of the constituent colors of white light. The overall feeling is the rainbow moving with the wind, casting shadows on the ground while at the same time having the whiteness of the transparent portions breaking up the color scheme as one looks up from the ground.
Breaking Waves, along with Rainbow Squared are to be found in the crabapple orchard part of the Garden. Breaking Waves, unlike the other two pieces, is a vertical work which has been placed in an area that separates the Gardens from the surrounding neighborhood. The work contains wave-like and spiral color shapes which are superimposed, giving a different look every time the wind tosses the panels and the sun changes position.
The art entitled Blossom is attached to two distinct pine tree branches. Here the color shapes are circular, and the feeling is that the colored patches are really flowers blossoming on the ground beneath those two pines, as the title suggests. Blossom, like Rainbow Squared, also sways in unanticipated ways as the wind directs. The entire feeling is a surreal one where our eyes perceive these colored shadows as ephemeral flowers. Blossom casts shadows of colors onto a patch of light beige grasses, only to be observed by visitors while Rainbow Squared casts color shadows onto a very inviting lawn where visitors can walk, sit or lie under these shadows. Through the changes of the light, the viewers become aware of the properties of the light itself. All pieces are approximately 10 ft plus in length. One interesting aspect of Cecilia’s work is that the pieces with color are hand sewn by Cecilia herself. “I draw as I stitch, for me, sewing is art”. Hand stitching is usually considered a “craft” and often associated with domestic spaces, and for that reason has often been undervalued. Cecilia’s work is a homage to the tradition of anonymous women of Northeastern Brazil who are known for lace-making. She aims to shine a light and bring due recognition these artists’ work deserves. “My works dispute the anonymity of feminine craft of the past by restoring a sense of authorship to hand stitched work and by showcasing it today, as an art piece”, Cecilia says.
Cecilia likes creating large outdoor installations and having people interact with her work. She feels her work was missing direct sunlight as much as she was. Before the Covid crisis she volunteered for 4 years as a horticultural partner of the High Line. She feels her creativity is nurtured through gardening and through her interaction with plants. She is happy to be able to show her artwork in a public garden as it is a perfect setting for her current work. She feels that mixing art with nature, breaks expectations of traditional viewing spaces like galleries and museums. The element of surprise of seeing artwork in nature might inspire visitors to understand urban gardens themselves as works of art, once imagined from scratch.
Cecilia André is an artist of Lebanese ancestry who grew up in Brazil. She has been living in the USA for the last 25 years and is one of the 6 artists whom were chosen for 2020 AnkhLave Garden Fellows program occurs yearly, giving BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) artists access to a community garden to use as an alternative gallery space, beyond the usual white walls seen in art exhibitions. The AnkhLave Garden Project encourages artists to add to QBG’s sensory inspiration, for this purpose, they have received a grant from the Queens Council on the Arts.
Contributor: Angelica Walker is a Foreign Law Consultant in the International Conflict Resolution field with a passion for art. Brazilian born and living many years in New York City she is a Highlight Tour Guide at the Met.
Cecilia Andre website: https://ceciliaandre.com/
Queen Botanical Garden exhibition: https://queensbotanical.org/ankhlave/
Ankhlave organization website: https://www.ankhlave.org/ankhlave-garden-project.html
Film about her project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPMBrXtRrP8&feature=youtu.be
