This original collage by paper artist Denise Fiedler depicts blue abstract florals and delphiniums on an oval shaped handmade paper. Delphinium, or Larkspur - both names referring to their shape of a dolphin or a lark's claw - represent cheerfulness and protection in floriography.
This piece featured in Choosing Keeping’s 2024 exhibition “Hydrangea”, a presentation of new works by American paper artist Denise Fiedler. Based in San Francisco, Fiedler worked as a product designer, working with textiles for interiors until 2009 when she began her art practice exploring representational form using collage. She is known for her bold, graphic and colourful compositions depicting familiar subjects including garden flowers and botanicals, children, pets and domestic objects.
The use of ephemera, such as faded papers and old newsprint, anchors her work in a postwar aesthetic and is reminiscent of baby boomers’ childhood illustrated books - high in colour, line work and texture. Other influences include Joseph Frank, Mary Delaney’s intricate and contrasted “paper-mosaics”, Marimekko’s bold textiles and Andy Warhol’s pre-Factory commercial illustration as seen in his handmade artist’s book, all useful markers to give context to Fiedler’s work.