WAY-BACK RELATIONSHIP: Flowers and art? Oh, they go pretty far back, right? When the first person picked up the first paint brush and got to thinking what they might like to put on the canvas in front of them, nature, and what was just outside the window, was very often the obvious choice. Meaning that we've been gifted with many, many paintings over the years of irises and sunflowers and roses. So many roses. But what if flowers were called up to recreate, or at least pay homage to, a painting or sculpture? It's an intriguing idea and it forms the basis for the San Diego Museum of Art's annual Art Alive weekend. While there are many treats and to-dos surrounding the three-day museum affair, the headline is this: Floral designers create bouquets inspired by an artwork and place them near the artwork.
A WIDE VARIETY: Certainly some of the bouquets and arrangements summon the painting in every way, down to the last little touch of color; other flowers form a more abstract tribute. But for people who love their paintings and love their petal equally, it is a special weekend. (Read: It's very popular and well-attended.) The viewing dates are Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15. After that, the flowers must go but the painting they briefly reflected will, of course, remain.
