Still Life with Orchid II, King’s Orchid
The King’s Orchid is endemic to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, often sprouting near the coasts. Blooming fragrantly in spring, it has compact pseudobulbs that bear only one leaf and produce only a few flowers per stem. Here, the combination of the orchid with the surrounding palm fronds and flora places the flower in its natural habitat and combines many elements of our collective Cayman plant life. Through the artistic process developed by Hartwell and Ferehawk, the artists are able to separate the focus of the plant from the complimentary background. Through the layering of multiple shots and hours of postproduction editing, the plant is brought to life through the eyes of the artist, presented to the viewer in a way that allows for an array of new perspectives and interpretations on its rarity in our current society.
About the Artist
Bill Ferehawk and David Hartwell
Known as Collective Artist Collective, Ferehawk and Hartwell live and work in Los Angeles as commercial artists in the film industry. Together they have created numerous works and installations as an ongoing investigation into the ways places and histories are marked and remembered. This series of photographs was taken in 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park when the pair were Artists-in-Residence at the National Gallery.