STORY BEHIND THE ART OF JOHN PASTORIZA PIÑOL
22nd Annual International
American Society of Botanical Artists at Marin Art & Garden Center
Screaming Eagle
Paphiopedilum ’Screaming Eagle’
John Pastoriza-Piñol employs techniques from both the centuries-old tradition of botanical drawing as well as contemporary art. His watercolours articulate a delicate balance between science and contemporary art practice. The hyper-representation of the natural world is documented in such a way it creates a new contemporary reality. It is a commitment to painting as both a method and as a form of deeper inspection.
Rich luminous hues and gorgeously exotic and rare botanical specimens epitomise John Pastoriza-Piñol’s work; however these are more than mere flower paintings. The familiarity and pleasure we derive from looking at a depiction of a beautiful plant or flower is somewhat challenged, and the artist suggestively urges us to look beyond the aesthetic and investigate deeper into the dynamic relationship between man and nature, science and art.
Paphiopedilum sanderianum is a rare species of orchid endemic to north-western Borneo. First discovered in 1885, the orchid became renowned for the remarkable length of its petals, which can measure over 1 meter long. Although Paphiopedilum sanderianum has been used as a parent in a number of crosses, none of the resulting hybrids have so far matched the extraordinary lengths of this species' petals. After this rare orchid was rediscovered in the wild by Sheila Collinette in 1982 in Gunong Mulu National Park, scientific institutions, botanists, plant historians and commercial growers all wanted samples of this rare orchid. All this attention drew the attention of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The pressure of over collecting and black market trade of these plants highlighted it is of urgent need of protection. Some plants did fetch more than $25,000.00 each. Nowadays, wild collected plants are banned from international commercial trade, including their pollen, flowers, seed pods and leaves.
Paphiopedilum sanderianum ‘Screaming Eagles’ is a cultivated hybrid and this plant was painted from a specimen grown by an orchid specialist who previously worked for the National Tropical Botanic Garden in Hawaii. The National Tropical Botanical Garden is located on the island of Kaua’i and overlooks the Lawa’i Valley, the home of McBryde and Allerton Gardens. The NTBG Florilegium Society (founded by Wendy Hollender), is a group of artists from around the world who meet once a year to document significant plants growing in the gardens. This work was started during the 2018 session of the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s florilegium project. The specimen was perfect as all the blooms where open at the time of painting whereas usually, flowers open gradually.
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Read more about this artist’s work: 19th Annual