Ophelia's Flowers
"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love,
remember."
"And there is pansies, that's for thoughts."
"There's fennel for you, and columbines."
"There's rue for you, and here's some for me. We may call it herb of grace o' Sundays.
O, you must wear your rue with a difference!"
"There's a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they wither'd all when my father died. They say he made a good end."
Artist Statement
Ophelia and her story have always been of interest to me. It is a tragic one- full of anger, betrayal, love and loss. She is torn. She is confused. She is like me. The most famous of her scenes is what drove me to make this project: Hamlet Act IV Scene V. The flower scene. It is tradition in Shakespearean theater for her actress to pass out imaginary flowers, pulling more and more meaning into each hand-off. I wanted to find a way to personify these flowers and put my own meaning into each one. Specifically, I wanted to deal with lighting, colors, and props to portray each flower’s meaning.
Rosemary- Remembrance
For this shoot my mother helped me find fake rosemary. I let it drape into the model the way one falls into a happy memory. She cradles it and peers into it as though to see something she had once forgotten. We also feature small strings tied around her fingers- an old tradition of helping one remember something. One is specifically colored purple- the color of the rosemary flower.
Pansy- Thought
Though for this shoot I was unable to find fake pansies to put in the models hair, I kept other flowers in the final shot. This included bright purple flowers; they were flowers that reminded me of the vibrancy of pansies and the vibrance of a new idea. The model also has blue ribbons tied to her wrists, as blue is the traditional color of the mind and thought. Pictures are also featured scattered around the model on the ground. They are meant to spark thought in the viewers- what do the pictures show and what do they make me think?
Fennel- Flattery
Ophelia gifts many flowers to royalty as a sort of backhanded compliment, including this one. For this reason, the colors contrast with many of the other flowers'. In her monologue, the flower is handed to the King, who adores flattery. The colors are bold to represent Ophelia's boldness, but the model remains sorrowful in her expression. This is intended to represent the darker side of flattery (paired with columbine's infidelity).
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Columbine- Infidelity
Incredibly strong colors for an incredibly strong message. While the main color theme is bright pink, I included a hint of columbine’s soft purple right behind where the model kneels on the bed.
Rue- Sorrow
Also given to royalty, specifically the queen, this type of sorrow always felt like the sorrow one feels after wronging a loved one. Here, the model is dressed in rue’s bright yellow, even smearing the yellow under her eyes in her state of disarray.
Daisy- Innocence
Purity and loveliness. Here the model juxtaposes her first role representing rue. She holds a long daisy chain and sits, patiently waiting for love.
Violets- Sweetness
Something Ophelia thinks she has lost. The model is holding violet (colored) flowers and demonstrating the journey Ophelia took in her mind: her loss of sweetness.