John Reynolds | The Moon and the Flowers
01.02 - 02.03
For his exhibition at Starkwhite Queenstown Reynolds has produced a new series of large paintings accompanied by his signature tile works, all on a floral theme. Titled The moon and the flowers this new body of work references the opening line of a haiku by Issa, regarded as one of the four Grand masters of Japanese haiku. Utilising minimalism and natural imagery, this verse-form clocks a breezy spirituality with often comic and mischievous punch.
The moon and the flowers,
forty-nine years, walking around,
wasting time.
Issa (1763–1828)
The artist describes his new body of work as “moonlighting on floral themes of passing time, blue lunar cycles, and the pungency and maddening beauty of our fleeting world”.
Known for paintings rich with literary, religious, art historical and architectural allusions, Reynold’s practice frequently interweaves both everyday and epic references.