BEYOND NATURE - ROME: Jeff Robb
'My flowers accompany the visitor on a journey to discover what is hidden behind a flower'Jeff Robb
Via del Babuino, 9 - 00187 Rome
Cris Contini Contemporary and Hotel de Russie present the exhibition Beyond Nature - Rome by the English artist Jeff Robb who, after the stops in London inside the Crypt Gallery and in Milan, arrives in the capital, an indispensable destination of his exhibition itinerary.
The works of Jeff Robb, known for his use of the lenticular technique, are the result of a complex practice: the artist - thanks to his botanical studies - analyzes hundreds of flowers, different in color and shape, processes the images in 3D and then he 'sculpts' them digitally. Surprising photographic images that not only reveal the beauty of nature but invite the viewer to enter a new world, a reality that is beyond appearances. Observing the works of Jeff Robb is like exploring the famous inkblots of the psychiatrist Herman Rorschach: by folding the paper while the ink is still wet, a bilaterally symmetrical image is obtained and the spectator is invited to declare which drawing he sees in the stain. In the same way, those who approach Jeff Robb's works see more than just flowers: the petals become drapes or waterfalls, butterflies or supernatural creatures while the pistils become agile dancers.
Among the works on display, in addition to 5 flowers from the Rorschach flower series, there are 6 large works depicting still lifes such as Il Vaso in terracotta, but it is the Affinity2022 sculpture that surprises the visitor: a majestic female nude in mirrored stainless steel that stands out in the Secret Garden of the Hotel de Russie, in the middle of a green oasis in the heart of the Eternal City, designed by the architect Valadier in the 19th century.