Erika Ranee: Green Rose
Extended through Sunday, July 22nd
Closing Cocktails: Sunday, July 22nd, 3-5pm
Introducing Act 3 of our 5th Anniversary Exhibition Series, ” . . . in 5 Acts”
Ground Floor Gallery is proud to present “Green Rose,” a solo exhibition of new works culled from Ranee’s rich trove of abstract, mixed-media drawings informed by nature.
It’s been reported that abolitionist Quakers in Maryland planted and/or wore green roses as beacons of safety for slaves along the Underground Railroad.
I like the idea of nature as a beacon. It plays well with my works on paper as they explore the internal biology of plants and humans (in an abstract intuitive way, of course). I think of each work on paper as a journal documentation of energy and essence. Nature is the healer and neutralizer.
While making these new works certain ideas kept resurfacing: paths, tracks, connections—nature as a guide and beacon. I was thinking about circuits, synapses, heartbeats, rhythms, water and minerals.
I recently came across some information about 19th century abolitionist Quakers in Baltimore, Maryland who planted green roses in their yards, or wore them as a signal to slaves escaping through the Underground Railroad. These roses are an unusual species, because they don’t produce colorful petals, only the green sepals. Roses are revered and coveted for their colorful petals and green roses in all their green sepal glory are less desired.
Where most saw the petal-free flower as a mutation, others embraced its unusual quality as profoundly useful. Its rich history of guiding slaves elevates it beyond a pleasing aesthetic indulgence. These were treacherous paths taken by black slaves as they made their way to freedom from nefarious white slave owners in relentless pursuit. I think about their breathing, the fear and the adrenaline pumping at high levels while navigating through uncharted territories often at night.
I’m interested in the connections between the body and nature and its fluctuations. The work in this show doesn’t specifically chart the history of the Green Rose, but I want to honor its legacy; it encapsulates a specific confluence of nature and the human spirit, and the residual effects of hope and strife. – Artist Erika Ranee
See Available Works HERE.
Photo Credit: Jordan Rathkopf