Papaver Rhoeas
A single rose is displayed in the Introductory Gallery, as part of a major project by artist Paddy Hartley.
Drawing on the poppy’s association with the commemoration of World War One, Paddy Hartley has created a series of artworks produced by a unique team of art and science practitioners that address contemporary notions of remembrance and memorialisation. Funded by the Wellcome Trust, the works are placed in a diverse range of London-based cultural institutions to coincide with the World War One commemorations.
Composed of lamb’s heart muscle tissue, horsehair and vintage suture cotton, the poppies are presented in glass-blown jars designed in the form of used World War One artillery shells. Varying in colour and composition, the poppies have been designed to transition from solid object to transparent ghost-like forms, and in some cases to disappear. Through these works Hartley explores our compulsion to memorialise those lost to conflict across the globe, and offers an alternative form of remembrance. The temporary status of the poppies reflects the highly volatile and variable nature of both personal and social memory.
Papaver Rhoeas acknowledges all lives lost during conflict whether they are service personnel or civilians, young or old, or from any faith or ethnic background, and in turn emphasises our universally shared vulnerability of the flesh.
Suitable for
Any age
Website
foundlingmuseum.org.uk/events/papaver-rhoeas/
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