Name/Title
Torrid BloomEntry/Object ID
2025.05.05Description
Floral like sculpture with a flat back. The front shows a plant in bloom with greens, oranges, yellows, and whites.Context
"The work is from a series I call Fire Followers. It’s a classification for plants that respond to fire in California. Through my research I was thinking of the concept of the preservation paradox and how it relates to the California landscape. Indigenous traditions to care for the land such as controlled fires have been erased through colonization. These wild flowers that inspired the work (Matilija, Phacelia, Whispering Bells, and Fire Poppy) not only show us that these lands have always had a relationship to fire, but also the power of new life from ash." - Maddy Inez
This piece is based on the Matilija flower. They grow tall and bloom tissue-thin flowers with large yellow centers. The flower is named after a Chumash chief, and the legend behind it is that his daughter fell in love with a warrior. The warrior was killed in battle, and his lover came to lay with him where he fell. From them bloomed the Matilija: her white petals representing the innocence of their love and the middle yellow representing their fiery passion. Torrid Bloom is titled after their love. Matilija’s seedlings respond to smoke for germination.Acquisition
Accession
2025.05Source or Donor
Megan Mulrooney GalleryAcquisition Method
PurchaseCredit Line
Courtesy of the artist and the Barbara Nessim Acquisition PrizeLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
SculptureNomenclature Class
ArtNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsLOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Plants, Forest fires, SculptureDimensions
Height
2 inWidth
10 inLength
13 in