Leslie Iwai’s newest installation, Winter’s Spring: An Ältere Garten features my newest sculptural work including 20’ tulips, vinyl birds and rabbits, plus Cloven Sky,
Bulbs buried underground in winter have a hidden life inside, not breaking ground for months. What happens when we see the hints of spring in the depths of winter? In a time when the physical vulnerability of our elders is very present, often we observe the reemergence of the innocence of childhood wonder and tenderness as the weight of years seems to shed away. Vibrant life can hide itself under the cover of snowy hair and weathered skin. “Ältere Garten” explores this idea through vibrant colors, sculptural creations, imagery and materials that recall the simplicity of kindergarten merged with the fragile beauty of those in the winter season of their lives.
A series of wooden curves cut and formed to echo the colors and movement in a sky being “carved” or “cloven” to reveal the sunrise.
Wheaton Installation
These 20’ tulips were inspired by one of my students, Clemens, who began to create art in his seventies. He could always be found in the art room drawing tulips -in fact included them on almost any medium with any kind of drawing tool. When he died, I photographed some tulips in the snow. This reminded me of him and so many others that have their vibrance on the inside, often hidden beneath age or cognitive differences.
Leslie assembling one of her 20’ tulips!