BAKER + BOROWSKI, GRAPHIC REWILDING FLOWER CLOUDS

This design is inspired by fashion-forward Chelsea and the King’s Road’s position as the sartorial centre of swinging 60’s London - as well as a tribute to designer Mary Quaint, with her iconic daisy motif.

Quant opened her boutique ‘Bazaar’ on the King’s Road, near to Duke of York Square, in the 1960’s and filled it with a “bouillabaisse of clothes and accessories.” Women from far and wide flocked to the store, not simply for the clothing but also the experience, which was unlike anything they’d seen before.

A pioneer in visual branding and merchandising as well as fashion, Quant’s daisy logo (based on an original sketch she doodled on designs) came to represent her brand, adorning clothing, cosmetics, and packaging.

During the 60’s and 70’s the daisy motif became synonymous with rebellious, forward-thinking fun. Allen Ginsberg called it Flower Power: “A flower is delicate; something that can be pulled apart, that doesn’t last. But its seeds do.”

This delicate, commonly found flower had a powerful message of non-violence and tolerance. It was the custom of “flower children” to wear and distribute flowers to symbolize ideals of universal belonging, peace, and love, and they often wore daisies or daisy-chains in their hair.

These immersive installations draw inspiration from each location and hark to the horticultural heritage of Chelsea - from the King’s Road’s home to plant nurseries in the 18th century and the Flower Power movement of the 1960’s, the current ‘greening’ by Cadogan on Sloane Street - and of course, the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show.

As an artistic counterbalance to urban life, Graphic Rewilding creates vast, nature-inspired, attention grabbing artworks in city spaces. These Flower Cloud sculptural seating artworks are inspired by the rich cultural history of London and encourage people to take a moment, reflect and be engulfed in the supersaturated colours of nature.

Catherine Borowski and Lee Baker are the co-founders of SKIP Gallery and Graphic Rewilding. Graphic Rewilding is a counter balance to the lack of green space in cities. Lee and Catherine create vast, flower-inspired, maximalist, positivity-inducing artworks and immersive environments in often-overlooked urban spaces. The vibrant images of nature are set in opposition to the grey concrete jungle, and though these obviously could never provide the same environmental and psychological benefits as real nature, the intention is to inspire people to connect and empathise a little more with the natural world, hopefully mitigating some of the negative effects of a lack of exposure to green space.

See the sculptures installed in various locations around Chelsea. Supported by Cadogan.

From 16 June all summer

www.baker-borowski.com