Sunday, February 24, 2013

If Dali Was an Orchidologist...

"Surreal Beauty" morphs the mind's perception of orchids, much like Salvador Dali morphs our view of clocks, horses, and tigers...not permanently, of course. This year's Orchid Daze exhibition at the Atlanta Botanical Garden is masterfully brilliant!


Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty is presented in three distinct areas: the Fuqua Conservatory Lobby, the Orchid Center entryway, the Orchid Center Lobby, and the Orchid Display Room.

The demarcation of each area is noted by artwork that has been incorporate into four doorways, each representing one of the four surrealism artists who were the inspiration for the exhibition. 


Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden
In each area is a quote by the artist who inspired that particular section...and each quote is cleverly placed, so be on the lookout!

Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden

Conservatory Lobby

The Conservatory Lobby is a grand welcome to Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty. To fully enjoy, one must first abandon all vanity. Why, you ask? Because the Fun House mirrors are going to make you look like you gave up your New Year's resolutions before January 2nd or that you put your makeup on in the dark...all in a hilariously fun way.

Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden
This area makes a brilliant use of mirrors in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I personally enjoyed the spherical ones. Those are great for self portraits, which we know all the great artists made. 

Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden

Orchid Center Entryway

The Orchid Center Lobby showcases actually two distinct areas. The first is the very short hallway from the Conservatory to the Orchid Center Lobby running adjacent to the Fragrance Garden, where tulips were in full bloom opening weekend (it's warmer in the glass-enclosed, but not covered, Fragrance Garden than it is in other parts of the Garden).

Overhead are bowler hats in a display akin to a hot air balloon festival. They're as foretelling of the fun ahead as were the mirrors in the Conservatory.

Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Orchid Center Lobby

Stepping into the Orchid Center Lobby is an exercise of the mind being cleared of all things real and discovering singular elements that culminate in the realization of just what the Orchid Daze creators truly meant by "Surreal Beauty." 

Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden
This room is truly remarkable...from every angle! And I do recommend exploring the room from EVERY angle. And I really and truly hope you bring your camera...bring the good one, no matter how clunky you might think it is—it'll be totally worth it!

Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden
One of the more captivating features of this portion of the exhibition are the unexpected raining umbrellas. That's to say that from within three different umbrellas, it's raining! How clever is that?!

Remember to go through the High Elevation Tropicals Room while you're here, then head over to the Orchid Center Display Room.


Orchid Center Display Room

"Lady Slippers in lady slippers," I've heard this display called. Lady Slipper is a kind of orchid, some of which are among those planted in high heel shoes (or "lady slippers"...get it?). 


Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden
This display is beyond creative...I was blown away by the detail that went into it. From the color palette to the lace covered tree, there are surprises everywhere!


Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden
A few have asked, "What size are the shoes?" presumably contemplating the possibility of increasing their shoe wardrobe post-exhibition. But alas ladies, the shoes all have holes drilled in them, for proper watering. But they are pretty cool, aren't they?


Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Orchid Daze: Surreal Beauty,
Atlanta Botanical Garden
As brilliant as Surreal Beauty is, remember to take time to reflect on the beauty of all the orchids in the Orchid Center. There are approximately 2,000 species in the Garden's collection, making it one of the largest collections in the U.S., so there is lots to enjoy.

If you'd like to learn more about orchids, I recommend first following "The Orchid Column," a brilliant and beautiful blog by Becky Brinkman, Manager of the Garden's Orchid Center. And the Garden also offers regular "Orchid Care Clinics" and there's always the Garden's Plant Hotline.

"Orhid Daze: Surreal Beauty" carries with it the potential to make orchidologists of all of us...funny little mustache not required.

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