Flower photography challenge for Aranuwa’s Quiet States of Being

'Whispers of Grace' (photography) by Joyce Aranuwa.

By Tajudeen Sowole 

THE line between visual contents of artistic works and whatever the artist intends to express, is, naturally blurred to generate collective cohesion.

And when there seems to be a contrast between the contents of a work and the thematic intention, the artist, subconsciously or not, places a challenge on viewers to connect the two. More profoundly when such contrast comes, visual culture enthusiasts, especially critics are placed within a complex space of articulating what constitutes art, irrespective of the medium.

Taking a critical appreciation of the contrast between theme and the texture of artistic content, the photography works of Joyce Aranuwa comes into focus. In series of works she titles Quiet States of Being, the flower contents from which Aranuwa extracts thematic connection between quietness or softness and people’s handling of life’s challenges, exists metaphorically in the colourful plants.

The works under the series attempt to probe the connection between ways of life within common growth, devoid of any complexity. Aranuwa’s works present orchids as embodiments of fragility and endurance, likening its growth to the natural stages that are required of humans to go through, patiently. Even in their stillness, flowers are so active such that the environment needs their presence for healthy survival, so suggests each of the works under the Quiet States of Being series.

One of the works, Blooming Presence, radiates quiet reminder about growth’s silence effectiveness without being loud. This much, supposedly, reflects in the orchid’s gentle transformation of its surrounding, with little or no demand for attention. Bringing the plant’s example of quiet and effective impact, the work reflects on the power of presence and the way ordinary acts of becoming can transform people’s environment.   

Escalating the quietness factor in the theme, another work, Whispers of Grace, brings out simplicity in beauty, releasing motivational aura in the act of slow and steadiness. The work, which comes in shades of green and white celebrates grace, gentleness and softness as silence weapons in strength.  

Still on the Quiet States of Being series, another work, Quiet Abundance, which comes in shades and lights of green, and yellowish-orange projects flourishing as a patient and deliberate process. Stressing on the abundance part of the title, the blooms of the plant in clustered forms appear to be announcing the richness, not excess, that emerges over time through care, persistence, and endurance. 

From the three works that make the series, where exactly lies the contrast between the theme and the contents of each work? With such depth of intellectualism that links flower and the people’s handling of growth, generally, the artistic presentations of the plants appear incommensurate. 

For creative contents, the capture of the flower seems to do little justice to the depth of appreciation that the plant should get. In art, irrespective of the medium of expression, capturing plant, especially flower for intellectual engagement as visual culture, requires more than a click on the camera. 

For a photo artist whose lens art has produced pieces of impressive creativity such as Weight of Echoes, Unwritten Self, and Fragment of Renewal, among others, the works in Quiet States of Being deserves more creativity. Capturing plants, specifically flowers, in photography requires more details and attention devoid of interfering objects and shadows. More pronounced in Aranuwa’s works are the ineffective camera positions in high angles that overlook the flowers. Perhaps, a low, eye-level camera angle would have done better justice to the presentation of the captures.

Despite presenting weak contents in imageries for a strong theme in Quiet States of Being, Aranuwa has another opportunity in the future to retest or revisit the art of flower photography with better lens skills.  Flower photography is an art, and specialised areas of visual culture that needs to be encouraged and celebrated.

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