Nicotiana is a textile installation and part of my project “Lucid Lunar Dreaming”.
First shown at Månefestivalen in 2022, and then at Østfold Art Center in 2023. The work is hand sewn with two different types of silk, cotton thread and iridescent material, and the textile work about 2 meters is attached to a wooden construction. The flower, Nicotiana Alata, is part of a group of moonlight flowers, which are flowers that open in the evening and at night. These moon flowers also smell quite strong and sweet at night. As part of this project I have cultivated a moonlight garden with a range of flowers, such as Ipomoea Alba, Datura, Lemon balm and this flower. In the process it has spread out in different directions, I made a bat house for the nightly pollinators and have been working with wood and linocut for different types of print, video works as well as voice and field recordings. And it all started in 2019 with an interest in learning more about our solar system, where I started with our moon, which has a very modest description in the sea of mythological and beautiful moon names. The sound works and some video is what I will show at the next exhibition in November this year.
Working with topics such as moons, mythology and symbolism, I chose translucent and reflecting materials which refer back to the moon, that its light is a reflection from the sun and in that way has a symbolism of illusion and hidden agenda, and it is referred to inner feelings. Hanging textiles for me describe both the physical and the metaphysical world, representing portals into an understanding of the intimate parts of the personality. In its softness it is gentle, covering and revealing, but also makes it easier to be distracted and lose your footing.
