Forbidden Flower (Dark Orange) by Keisuke Mizuno at the Museum of Arts and Design. Photo Credit: Ed Watkins, 2006.

The Flora and Fauna exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design displays an imaginative concept in layout, juxtaposed with the seemingly clear overview of nature versus wildlife.  Many of its pieces require the viewer to hypothesize the artists’ intent, and although the show is divided into its respective topics, the visitors can find themselves wondering if there are aspects of a work that fit into both qualities of life.

Keisuke Mizuno’s Forbidden Flower (Dark Orange), sculpted from porcelain and glaze, is an extremely attractive piece in a simple glance. Each carefully whittled petal, in its graceful droop, holds many features of a typical leaf, but the size and power of each individually of the six, cradling the prickly center, defines them as the petals of this creation. The exaggeratedly sharp creases and edges give the “forbidden” flower a dangerous allure, and when meticulously studied, the miniscule face of a doll peers back from a dent in the center. Possibly representing the threat of particular beauties in nature, the work invites you into Mizumo’s take on flora. The piece is captivating, and pulls you in from just passing through the Flora section of the exhibit.

Fisherman’s Daydreams is a nostalgic work by David Regan, and as opposed to Mizumo’s creation, is found in the Fauna partition of the exhibit. The piece is crafted from porcelain and found objects, a rugged portrayal in layout very specifically. While masculine in its plainness of color and blatant message, the sentiment provides comic relief and a relatable serenity. At first look, many may not notice the likeness of a female figure, made from the same material as all the life-size fish, peering from the inside of a bucket. His subtlety in the work is wonderful to discover, and the overall effect of the piece warms the heart. In the explanation, Regan provides some clarification as to the message he tries to portray in the piece. “Drawn on each fish is the daydream that preceded the catching of that fish, the most common of which (in my case) is boobs.”

Flora and Fauna was a pleasant exhibit to just walk through, and allowed the viewer to make their own opinions despite the division in content.