SHOWstudio, Bruton Place, London | November 10, 2010 – January 13, 2011

A Celebration of Flowers in Art, Fashion, and Photography

In the depths of winter, Carrie Scott and Nick Knight sought to reinvigorate London’s cultural landscape with Florist, an exhibition that explored the enduring power of flowers in art, fashion, and photography. Running from November 10, 2010, to January 13, 2011, at SHOWstudio, Bruton Place, London, the show featured major works by Guy Bourdin, Daniel Brown, Michael Howells, Nick Knight, Jeffry Mitchell, and Mary Temple.

Still Life Reimagined

A genre deeply rooted in Western art history, still life has long been used to celebrate the ephemeral beauty of organic forms, from the lush fruit bowls and floral arrangements of the 16th century to the modernist experiments in abstraction. Yet in contemporary art, the tradition of still life has largely been sidelined, replaced by more conceptual approaches.

Florist set out to reclaim the power of this form, proving that even the simplest flower could be a transformative artistic force. Through photography, sculpture, and couture, the exhibition highlighted how the organic curves of a petal, the structural precision of a stem, and the fluidity of a bloom have inspired some of the most iconic artistic and fashion movements.

Floral Inspirations Across Media

  • Through the photographer’s lens, blossoms became both abstracted and sharpened, capturing the delicate tension between form and fragility.

  • In the sculptor’s hands, the curves and movement of organic structures came to life, echoing the contours of the human body and the fluidity of nature.

  • In haute couture, florals have long been a symbol of femininity, decadence, and craftsmanship, from the bloom-scattered crinolines of Charles Worth to the bud-like silhouettes of Dior’s New Look.

By bringing these elements together, Florist blurred the lines between fashion, art, and photography, revealing the flower as both an object of beauty and a symbol of transformation.

A Living, Expanding Exhibition

Marking SHOWstudio’s 10th anniversary, Florist was conceived as a continuously evolving showcase, expanding with new submissions throughout its run. SHOWstudio contributors—ranging from Craig McDean to Yohji Yamamoto, Dame Vivienne Westwood to Julie Verhoeven—were invited to "say it with flowers", adding their own floral tributes to this visual garden. As winter turned to spring, the exhibition literally grew, a reflection of both nature’s cycles and the ever-evolving digital landscape of SHOWstudio.

Florist

Curated By Carrie Scott

Florist: A Floral Tribute to Ten Years of Innovation

By juxtaposing the timeless tradition of still life with the transience of fashion and the digital frontier of SHOWstudio, Florist redefined how we view flowers as art, fashion, and artifact. This exhibition was not just a celebration of floral beauty but a statement on reinvention, evolution, and the constant dialogue between the past and the present.

Featured Artists and Contributors

The exhibition included works by:

  • Guy Bourdin

  • Daniel Brown

  • Simon Costin

  • Giles Deacon

  • Andy Hillman

  • Michael Howells

  • Jonathan Kaye (The Gentlewoman)

  • Kenzo

  • Jeffry Mitchell

  • Gareth Pugh

  • Martine Sitbon (Rue du Mail)

  • Solve Sundsbo

  • Julie Verhoeven

  • Dame Vivienne Westwood

  • Matthew Williams

  • Yohji Yamamoto

As the exhibition unfolded, more contributors joined, further cultivating this ever-blooming celebration of nature’s enduring influence on art, fashion, and design.