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Santori
Santori is a photograph series realized through multiple exposures, creating a translucent layering of narcissus blossoms in full bloom. The piece appears as a nod to x-ray imagery of flowers coming into a lucid view. The monumental size of the print commands space, establishing the narcissus flower as an icon in the gallery space. Hovnanian’s 2007 exhibition Preservation of the Narcissus explores the myth of Narcissus in terms of memory, identity, and loss. This series of works captures the essence of the narcissus flower, a fragile bloom whose symbolic associations are central to the history of art. The exhibition acts as a means by which Hovnanian pursues her ongoing interest in beauty through its ephemerality, preservation, and inevitable decay. Preservation of the Narcissus points to something darker underneath its grace - awareness that every celebration of lively beauty is foreshadowed by recognition of its inevitable end.
