By Emma Vescio
As a freshman in college, my extravagant, cowboy hat-wearing professor would casually drop clues about his life beyond the classroom. He was a ghostwriter in Paris, he traveled through America’s south redesigning homes, but most importantly to me, he spent years studying Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights. From 1503 to 1515, Bosch painted this masterpiece that would forever be cemented in art history. The work is horrifyingly beautiful in its depictions of indulgence and ecstasy; one could spend a lifetime examining the symbolism and meaning embedded in the intricate imagery.
Aimlessly scrolling through Instagram, I came across a profile for Garden of Artificial Delights. My interest piqued, I clicked through. This username represents the work of artist Soren Lundi, a queer artist living in Pittsburgh, PA. Much like the effect of Bosch’s Earthly Delights, Lundi’s work in embroidery and paper flowers uses a plethora of mediums to bring pleasure, wonder, and–without a doubt–delight to any viewer. I was quickly enamoured with his snakes constructed from sequins or insects with individualistic beading.
Working at the intersection of art and craft, Lundi’s artworks demand time and effort. Smaller works take between four and ten hours to create, while larger works take about 30 hours. Each bead is carefully placed to create images of snakes, swans, insects, and flowers. Lundi’s bouquets of paper flowers could easily be mistaken for the real deal much like an artificial delight allows us experience.
One of my favorite works by Lundi is a beaded swan pierced by an arrow. It reminds me of the magic that is seen throughout the work of Swedish painter Hilma af Klint especially the 24 paintings that constitute her The Swan paintings, recently shown at the Guggenheim. The mystique and wonder that are ignited with these works are also seen throughout Lundi’s paintings. He is currently working on a series of male nudes from Edwardian photo references.
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