Bloom at York Art Gallery: Botanical bounty on view as part of new exhibition at York Art Gallery

The latest exhibition at York Art Gallery celebrates this creatively fruitful relationship. Bloom, which runs until October, brings together more than a hundred botanical artworks from the gallery’s own collection alongside key loans to explore the importance of nature and green spaces for enjoyment, creativity and wellbeing.

It showcases flora through paintings, works on paper, ceramics as well as photography and contemporary installations.

“The exhibition was inspired by a strength that we had identified in the collection around flowers and still life,” says Becky Gee, curator of fine art at the gallery. “There were other works in the collection that were perhaps in poor condition that hadn’t been shown in living memory so we undertook some conservation work and that was another motivation for the show.

"Often, we are developing exhibitions which include loans from elsewhere and we wanted to pull together one that showcased some of the wonderful works we have in our collection. But this was back in 2019 and it was one of the many shows that got cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

As it was being developed, the exhibition took on other resonances in the wake of the multiple lockdowns due to the pandemic and the way in which people’s relationship with nature changed during that time. Most of us became more aware of the importance of the natural world and how it could be a salve in challenging times.

Not only that, it was plain to see how much nature benefitted from the temporary pause in human activity – the air was clearer because there was less pollution; rivers and lakes were cleaner. It was a salutary lesson in how crucial it is to take humanity’s stewardship of the planet seriously. Adding that into their thinking, the curatorial team began to broaden the scope of the show.

“We decided we wanted to draw attention to our location next to the Museum Gardens,” says Gee. “Particularly since 2020 there has been a lot more investment and interest in public spaces and there was a desire to have a local focus, so we wanted to connect the exhibition also to the history of the gardens and the work we are doing in them at the moment.”

Presented over three galleries, the first space in the exhibition is given over to an exploration of the history of York Museum Gardens which were opened by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society in the 1830s with the aim of establishing a place to study and appreciate horticulture and to house the Yorkshire Museum.

Initially a private space for members only, in 1960 the gardens and the Yorkshire Museum passed into public ownership when they were given in trust to the City of York Council and since 2002 both have been managed by York Museums Trust. Using selected artworks from York Art Gallery’s collection as illustrative tools, visitors can learn about the gardens’ approach today and the links all the way back to its history as the site of St Mary’s Abbey, built in 1088.

“It was really interesting to talk to our colleagues at the Yorkshire museum about the history of the gardens, it has been a great collaborative process,” says Gee. “It has been nice to bring together those local histories and stories and present them in a way that is a bit different.”

The second space in the show focusses on the gallery’s notable still life collection, ranging from the 17th to the 20th century, including significant floral pieces by leading artists Henri Fantin-Latour, Charles Ginner and Auguste Herbin alongside modern-day artworks featuring nature or botanical subjects. “We have on loan several works from the Intoart Collection – an organisation in Peckham in south London for learning disabled artists,” says Gee.

“We also have loans from the Richard Saltoun gallery who represent artists who are more experimental in their work.” The focus of the third room is primarily on flowers and the body, covering themes such as gender and sexuality and symbolism in art, featuring paintings by artists such as Shelagh Wakely, Jan Wade and Everlyn Nicodemus which explore the conceptual use of the flower motif, often through a feminist lens.

The exhibition also foregrounds a major new commission from York-based artist Jade Blood entitled Gardeners World made up of two installations – one outside in the gardens and the other in the gallery. “Jade was really inspired by the work being done in the gardens,” says Gee.

“I gave her a very broad brief and she responded to what our garden team has been doing which is tree planting and companion planting. It resonated with Jade – she often takes a DIY approach to her work and is always aiming to be sustainable. The work she has made for us is imagining a world post-climate change.

"She wants to encourage us to spend time with nature, to get to know it and live more collaboratively with it. Inside the gallery, the installation takes the form of a work space with items left over from the past world using reclaimed and recycled materials.”

Bloom’s aim is to create an accessible platform for visitors to consider their role in climate change.

Throughout the exhibition visitors are encouraged to think about the significance of our natural world and how best to enjoy, cherish and protect it.

“York Art Gallery and the Museum Gardens are a central cultural and green lung within the city,” says Kathryn Blacker, chief executive of York Museums Trust. “Through our gallery collections, loans and our gardens we have been able to tell the story of how gardens and nature should be cherished and cared for, given their importance to our individual, social and the planet’s wellbeing.

"The Art Gallery sits directly in front of the gardens and we do hope that visitors will take the opportunity to enjoy and learn about the connections between them in both spaces.”

Gee has been delighted that the exhibition has given her the opportunity to really delve into the gallery’s collection. “It has been such a fun, rewarding process,” she says. “And putting our works together with key loans means we have a good balance of works demonstrating how those traditional observational techniques of making images of nature is still relevant to artists today – and how artists can use it to critique things.”

Gee hopes that visitors will enjoy the artworks on display in the galleries and take the opportunity to spend some time in the gardens, pausing to reflect. “Flowers, and nature as a whole, are so important for our wellbeing,” she says. “We would like visitors to feel a sense of tranquillity when experiencing this show, as they have a break from the bustling world outside. And also, to come away thinking about the importance we all have as individuals in caring for nature. ”

Bloom is at York Art Gallery until October 8. Open Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Adults £8, concessions available. There is a full events programme accompanying the exhibition. For more details visit yorkartgallery.org.uk