Hmm, I wonder it certainly looks too tiny to be called “floral wonderland” for god sake… was the first impression I felt to see Julie Verhoeven‘s new exhibition, “Saint James’s in Bloom”. It was stealthily held at the main office building of the Economist, which is a charm of the city workers or simply necessities.

Verhoeven is a limelight designer/Illustrator, who used to work for John Gualliano, now designing Collaboration bags with Louis Vuitton, also designing Primal Screams CAD jacket recently.

Well, You may notice gardening is one of main concerns of English. The artist got inspiration from the rich gardens of England’s seaside town.

She transformed the Economist Plaza into Floral wonderland. the columns of the buildings surrounding the plaza turned into the trees decorated with jewel like mosaics and some Illustrations. The dull and gloomy girl ‘s illustrations are her never changing style though. If you look at carefully, you must find the shells, the starfish, the pots herd and something like icing sweets. They all looks like they are growing on the tree by themselves.

Is that the tree all the girls dream which born everything you want? Well but, we can’t stop feeling a little bit Grotesque to see these sky blue painted starfish and reproachful girls. Lots of her works seem to have both girlieness, cuteness and wiredness or poisonous.

She will have another exhibition at Riflemaker in SOHO from 11th September. Graham Coxon will play at the private view as well so if you have nothing to do after your favorite Big Brother show was finished, may fun to catch up there.

Julie Verhoeven “Saint James’s in Bloom”
Date: July 19h – Sepember 15th, 2006
Place: The Economist Plaza
Address: 25 St James’s St., London SW1
https://www.julieverhoeven.com