I was walking my dog the other day and spotted something colorful attached to a utility pole I was passing. I approached it for a closer look and saw that it was a really pretty acrylic flower, with a magnet on the back, next to a QR code. I pocketed the flower and scanned the QR code when I got home, and it led me "Galactic Superbloom," the website and project of artist David Henderson.
I poked around his website and discovered I'm a big fan of his work, which plays with color, pattern, and texture. He creates sculptures, paintings, and more, all featuring some iteration of the flower design that I found. When I reached out to him, he told me that his "seedlings" (like the one I found) have shown up all across the United States, as well as Spain, England, and Germany. His larger-scale artwork has also been exhibited in galleries such as the Herberger Theater in Phoenix, Arizona.
Here's his bio:
David is a phoenix-based artist working mostly with paint and vinyl. He has a BFA in graphic design and works as a printer and sign maker. David is unusually tall and likes to explore alleyways in other countries with his short girlfriend in search of interesting and unexpected art. He's also got a seriously weird alien toe. It's disturbing.
And his artist statement:
I have worked on and off for over 25 years with my flowers in various forms. This bloom involves them arriving as digital shapes that can be infinitely repeated and expanded… I enjoy experimenting with new and different materials, chemicals and supplies, especially not knowing exactly what will happen. Order and chaos have long been a common theme in my life and work. The flowers are the order we try to put on the chaos that is the universe around us.
To see more of his work, check out Galactic Superbloom.
