Description
‘Perennation I’ by Sarah Boyce
Artist: Sarah Boyce
Title: ‘Perennation I’
Medium: Graphite on Stonehenge paper
Dimensions: 11.5″ x 12″
Framing: Unframed
Year of Creation: 2023
About the Artwork:
“Perennation refers to a plant’s capacity to survive from season to season, particularly through winter or other adverse conditions, with the use of an underground storage element such as a bulb or tuber. Bittersweet nightshade, a vine with a similar type of storehouse, is a plant that has long captured my attention. Though it is usually thought of as a weed – sometimes an invasive one – it is visually striking with its purple and yellow flowers and bright red berries. The sight of it conjures up a childhood memory of smashing the berries between my fingers while I was in my grandmother’s garden, not realizing that they were poisonous. And despite its toxicity, it has a history of medicinal use. In folklore, bittersweet nightshade may be associated with conflicting ideas or emotions. This piece also touches on transformation myths found throughout folklore, and more specifically, in ancient Greek mythology, where metamorphoses between the human and plant or animal realms can involve themes of reward, protection, deceit, or retribution.” – Sarah Boyce
About the Artist:
(Artist Bio)
Sarah Boyce (Garlands & Gravestones) is a painter and illustrator from Michigan, living in Washington, DC. Her work explores imagery and folklore related to holidays, the changing seasons, and our relationship to the natural world. With equal interest in classical painting and imagery from popular culture, she is particularly influenced by horror films, Halloween, memento mori artwork, still life painting, and ancient mythology. She received a BFA from Western Michigan University and an MFA from the University of Memphis.