Mutus Floris

Mutus Floris (mute or silent flowers) is composed of over 5000 individual photographs of wild flowers taken over three seasons, at Phenzhopehaugh in Scotland. The work explores our perceptual relationship to natural things – flowers as objects of attention, the fixing of dynamic life in symbolic thought. The soundtrack consists of the botanical Latin names of the plants found, read by Crinan Alexander, a leading expert in plant taxonomy. We hear the fixing of perceptual experience in naming, a process of sampling and classifying which nonetheless goes beyond its own conventions in evoking the poetic.

Runtime: 3m 42s

See it on Vimeo: Mutus Floris

First shown at The Generator Shed, Scottish Borders, from 7th May to 15th May 2011 – an experiment in extreme rural exhibiting – download the invite and directions. Also shown at Montreal Underground Film Festival 14th May 2011. At Bump Gallery 26th and 27th August 2011 – invite here.

Credits: Directed by, camera, editing and sound: Richard Ashrowan
Voiced by: Crinan Alexander, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh