"Yet the wonder of this exhibit also seemed to mimic the very cycle of nature itself: with nature surely an inspiration for many of these works of art, then new art created with the full bloom of flower and imagination, the wondrous circle of art, the artist and nature echoed life in all its glory; temporary, bittersweet and lush."

Separated at Birth: MAM celebrates biennial with "In Full Bloom"

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Diane Lilli
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If you’ve ever wondered how fraternal twins would look like to an artist, the exhibit “In Full Bloom" at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) was truly a mirror of the twin worlds of art and floral design. Offered as a celebration in honor of their biennial, MAM spared no artistic vision or ambition in this highly creative, visual and fragrant event.

Every floral arrangement was inspired by the colors, shapes, mood and texture of a work of art - and then offered up like an insightful reflection of nature as seen through a thoroughly pastoral looking glass.

Wandering throughout this colorful and sometimes shocking display of color and texture, I was mesmerized by the jumping off point each floral designer or design team took in order to create her own version of a painting or sculpture.

A vibrant modernist painting by Jay Van Everen (1675 - 1947), influenced by Art Deco, was married perfectly to a sculpture, complete with sharp angles and wonderfully place flowers in bold colors that matched the work of art.

Even a lively sculpture, encased in glass, was replicated with dangling bits of wire and plenty of blooming flowers, placed almost wistfully next to their inspiration.

Gardners from Montclair and other towns, all professionals, offered a highly visual and creative garden of art for all to enjoy. When lookng at the these intense creations, it was easy to leap, Alice-in-Wonderland-like, into the very atmosphere of each painting or sculputure, and want to linger, just as long as those blooms stayed fresh and alive.

Yet the wonder of this exhibit also seemed to mimic the very cycle of nature itself: with nature surely an inspiration for many of these works of art, then new art created with the full bloom of flower and imagination, the wondrous circle of art, the artist and nature echoed life in all its glory; temporary, bittersweet and lush.

“In Full Bloom”, a four-day event due to the fragility of the floral arrangements, was from April 12 through 16, and included a floral demonstration by hot designer Jane Godshalk, who also offered a lecture with Master Gardner and first female president of the Montclair Art Musuem board of trustees Brenda Bingham.