Jennifer Packer: Yellow Bouquet

A rose, embedded in a simple arrangement of greens, emerges from a deep mustard yellow that covers the surface of the canvas. There is a sense of decay in the wilting unfurled leaves and collapsed, undulated petals, though what draws me is the undeniable beauty of the flower. The painting, “Untitled,” by contemporary artist Jennifer Packer employs loose brushstrokes and strong color, together they create an intimate, even contemplative looking experience.
Experiencing the simple and familiar through the lens of a contemporary artist, like Packer, goes beyond everyday reality as I learn from my research. This arrangement is a funerary bouquet that exposes as it honors in equal measure black victims of police violence. My moments of private contemplation shift to Packer’s expression of private sorrow, of deep loss engulfed in the tenderness of a rose.

“Untitled,” is currently at the New Britain Museum of American Art in the exhibition, “The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe and the Contemporary Artist,” until June 2, 2019.