Hales Gallery is pleased to announce a new installation by Sebastiaan Bremer at the Blue School, New York. The mural is a commission from the Blue School to honour the inaugural class of students to complete the school's K-8 program.
The work is a combination of Bremer’s recent obsession with flowers, while honoring his daughter, her classmates and the Blue School itself on their academic achievement and progress. The painting incorporates images of flowers from the book Bloemen (1948) which has relevance for Bremer, who is originally from Holland, as source material. The book, made during the German occupation of the Netherlands, was a discretely crafted patriotic celebration of the country’s culture. Unnoticed by the Germans, it quietly brought together and celebrated the three professions which Holland is most known for; flower growing, printmaking and graphic design. With fresh debates about immigration and diversity now popping up in Western democracies all over the world, this book is poignant as the source material for the work. The irony is that these “Dutch” flowers originated in Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey. Origins as distinct and unique as the students at Blue School.
The work was created for the commons area where students convene to eat, socialize, play and care for plants growing throughout the space. The aesthetic of Bremer’s creation echoes the architect’s fascination with geometry and color, using white and colored dots in the mural which reference the glowing orbs in the student library upstairs and the lights in the room where it resides.
Sebastiaan Bremer
Bloom
Blue School
156 William Street
New York, NY 10038
USA
Opening 20 May 2019
