At the climbing gym, Petra heard coaches around her talking about moves such as a Gaston (pushing instead of pulling), a Dyno, the Heel Hook, a Bat Hang, and a Drop Knee (also called an Egyptian.)  She collaged examples of each of those moves into the area of the gym called the bouldering cave.

One day she added her hand and paintbrush to the image and liked that it opened the work to potentially being in progress, an artist caught still in the frame, and how it connected the final work to its source, a paintbrush.

The paintbrush shows up in all three series. In the series, “Pollination and Propagation,” it could be read that rather than creating the flower, perhaps it is pollinating it, or perhaps it is disrupting the work, and we are catching a moment when something is being undone.

The original gouache paintings were created by Petra Franklin when she accompanied her daughter, Naomi Lahaie, to the climbing gym. While Naomi worked the routes, Petra got out the paints and tried to capture the fabulous energy of the scene. 

All of the flowers in Pollination and Propagation are edible. Some of the cuttings in the bouquets were transferred to the garden and became thriving plants. Included are Shisho, Fennel, Squash Blossoms, Nasturtiums, Jasmine, Verbena, Cornflowers, and Sorrel.

More on Pollination and Propagation here.

The vases in the Pollination and Propagation have roots growing from the stems. There are also bees. Human hands hold the flowers, or the vases, and become part of the frame.