Les fleurs du Sultan 1980

Editor: This is Jean-Paul Jerome’s "Les fleurs du Sultan," painted in 1980 using acrylic paint and ink. The bold, geometric shapes and vibrant colors – oranges, pinks, purples –give it a definite Pop Art feel. The thin black lines make me think of a deconstructed flower, but what do you see in it? Curator: "Flowers of the Sultan" evokes for me the stylized floral motifs found in Islamic art, though refracted through a decidedly Western, abstract lens. Notice how the artist uses those hard edges and flat planes of color? It reminds me of stained glass, and stained glass, in turn, links us back to centuries of symbolic use of color and light within sacred spaces. The 'Sultan' in the title could refer to the Ottoman empire where floral patterns had very distinct cultural associations signifying power and beauty, don’t you think? Editor: That's interesting! I was so focused on the 'flowers' part that the 'Sultan' didn’t really register. Are you suggesting it's playing with ideas of Orientalism? Curator: Perhaps. The use of simplified, almost cartoonish floral forms against that ground references the Western fascination with Eastern imagery, filtered and interpreted through abstraction. Look at how the lines appear to tether each color section – do they restrain or connect them? Is the cultural exchange harmonious, or is something being lost or contained? Editor: That makes me reconsider the title; it’s not just flowers, but specifically *the Sultan's* flowers. It adds a layer of political and historical context to what initially seemed purely abstract. It's more complex than just pretty colours! Curator: Precisely! Art always speaks in multiple languages. It reflects shared memories, but is always transformed. Now you have the background to see deeper layers within the abstraction. Editor: Thanks for illuminating that! It really highlights the power of symbols and how cultural context can reshape our understanding of art.