by Abby Bullard
The Secret Garden exhibition, much like the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, whimsically traverses themes of self-discovery and regeneration of life through the exploration of family history. As I have wandered throughout my life, I have always been referred to as a flower blossoming in various stages. A recent farewell to my grandmother unearthed questions and childlike curiosities about the unique lives of my ancestors. After inheriting a collection of 35mm color slides of photographs of flowers in gardens that my great-grandfather took in his retirement, I finally began to feel a sense of belonging to my ancestral roots. The Secret Garden weaves together imagery of flowers with notes and letters written by my ancestors to create subtle textural collages. Silkscreened prints on paper and fabric are layered on top of monotype color fields and gradients with fraying edges to create a new narrative from my ancestor’s fragmented storylines. My fascination with untangling the unique personalities and sensibilities of my ancestors reveals itself in the form of a secret garden where tactile identities and fragrant memories of the past are reborn and can once again flourish.
Garden Scene #1, 2019
Monotype collage on paper, silkscreen, acetate, and chiffon
10.25 x 17.75 inches
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Garden Scene #2, 2020
Monotype collage on paper, silkscreen, acetate, and cotton
9 x 9.5 inches
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Brodick Garden, 2020
Monotype collage on paper, silkscreen, lace, and chiffon
8.5 by 10 inches
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Gingham Check, 2020
Monotype collage on paper, wallpaper, silkscreen, and linen
10 x 11 inches
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Before the Gang Arrives, 2020
Monotype collage on paper, wallpaper, cotton fabric, and inkjet
7.5 x 10 inches
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Thanks for All You’ve Done, 2020
Wallpaper and silkscreen print collage on inkjet
8 x 12.5 inches
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Whispering Wallpaper, 2020
Collage on vintage wallpaper, linocut, risograph, silkscreen, and acetate
16.5 x 22.5 inches
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I Hope To Go Home Tomorrow, 2020
Silkscreen, risograph, and lace collage on monotype print
10 x 21.5 inches
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Abby Bullard (1994; Raleigh, North Carolina) received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the Savannah College of Art & Design in 2016 and has exhibited in group shows at Hathaway Contemporary, Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art, Kai Lin Art, MINT Gallery, as well as various galleries and pop-up venues across the state of Georgia, North Carolina, Nebraska, California, and Lacoste, France. In 2014, Bullard received “Best in Printmaking” for her work in the Nebraska National Undergraduate Juried Art Exhibition at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Her work is also in the SGC International permanent collection at the Zuckerman Museum of Art in Kennesaw, Georgia. Bullard currently lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia.