Bloom: Art, Flowers, and Emotion

By Rachel Giles

Flowers and plants have long captivated artists, and Rachel Giles’ Bloom details the sheer extent of the natural world’s influence upon art itself. Through collecting floral art from the famous Tate Modern in London, Giles has created a beautiful compendium of one hundred of the most beautiful floral works, in a variety of styles.

Flowers in many cultures have become a fertile metaphor for life’s milestones and emotions, whether joyful or sad, and Bloom mirrors this thinking by organising the art into specific emotions, thus allowing us to really understand the central theme. Work from artists, including Tracey Emin, David Hockney, and Winifred Nicholson, is supported by short passages detailing the style used, as well as Giles’ interpretation.

A wonderful book for those interested in art, and easily accessible for those new to it, Bloom takes us on an enthralling journey through love, hope, death, and everything in between.