How can aloof architectural floral design coexist peacefully with commercial life?
Today's topic is a bit beyond the scope of ordinary floral enthusiasts~ Even for floral designers who have studied for many years, it is still a difficult problem they have not yet figured out. Do you absolutely have to learn structure? Will learning it take you to the next level?
First, we need to clarify what architectural floral design is:
Architectural floral design originated in the West and has become very popular in China in recent years. The emergence of structure was a completely new revolution in the world of floral design. It not only overcame the limitations of floral containers and expanded the application space of floral materials, but also inspired floral designers' creative inspiration.
Unfortunately, people's impression of structure is not as wonderful as what the entry says. Even Shaoyao herself feels that the architectural floral design seen on the market is either pretentious or ugly, made structural for the sake of structure, completely losing its natural beauty.
But this is also a very subjective impression. Once we have seen an exceptionally beautiful piece of architectural floral design, would we still think this way? For example, this young woman Song. Not only is her structure course loved by a great many floral designers, she also recently won a major award--
{Shaoyao Girl Vol.726 }
x
Song's architectural floral design
The just-concluded2019 World Cup Floral Art Competition China Regional Finalsand the Third "Uni Cup" Floral Art Competition came to a successful close (this is organized by the International Florists Association, currently the world's most authoritative and influential floral event, held every four years, and known as the "Olympics" of the floral world). Facing a competitive scene full of masters, floral designer Song Huiliao (Song) won third place, electrifying all pioneering floral designers.
Compared with the other contestants who were fully prepared for battle (they had prepared their competition works half a month earlier and mailed them to the competition venue), Song seemed to travel light and unhurried, and she was also one of the few beautiful floral designers in the whole venue.
Let everyone see Song's works from the finals preliminary round and on-site creation:
In 1927, German physicist Heisenberg said:
In the statement of causality, namely "if one knows the present exactly, one can foresee the future," what is obtained is not a conclusion, but a premise...
In other words, it is actually your future that determines your present actions. I asked Song, do you think there was something destined from the very beginning about you becoming a floral designer?
MaxGardenDifferent applications of the same material. This is a work in parallel proportion, a low-viewpoint table flower, the application of leaf materials and layered proportion. The splitting and recombination of materials often brings surprises.
In elementary school, on a certain hike with her parents, Song saw a kind of dead branch by the roadside and thought it was especially beautiful, so she picked some dead branches and wintersweet flowers and took them home to arrange in a vase. At the time she really liked the lines of that dead branch and the wintersweet, so she placed them in a short vase at an angle, very artistic, and just looking at them every day made her very happy.
But at the time her parents did not understand her and thought it was just a pile of dry grass. When Song recalled it after growing up, she felt that it was actually a kind of destiny.
MaxGardenApplication of Japanese-style leaf materials and floral vessels completed within 30 minutes
The joy brought by flowers and plants is something others simply cannot understand. At that time Song had no idea she would enter the floral industry in the future. After graduating from university, opening a flower shop in Wuhan also seemed like a matter of course, and she naturally entered this profession. There were not so many reasons; it seemed everything fell into place.
MaxGardenDecorative architectural long table flower
MaxGardenThe use of floral vessels. This design is suitable for entryways, coffee tables and other positions
Song studied industrial design at university. Her university professional training gave Song a basic foundation for her understanding of design,Design ability and design perception actually penetrate into every aspect of life, not merely visual orientation, and these helped her a great deal in her future floral design.
MaxGardenVegetative design, imagining the feeling of butterflies flying through it. Vegetative design is a microcosm of nature; the position of every flower has a basis
In the fresh flower industry, floral styles are actually very diverse, butarchitectural floral design allowed Song to quickly stand out among many floral designers. This floral form with its unique interpretive method made Song clear about her future direction.
All her designs come from nature. She says nature offers many gifts, inexhaustible, and in the face of nature there are always different inspirations and surprises. Borrowing it to complete one interesting work after another, Song very much enjoys the pleasure this design brings.
MaxGardenSmall screen design
MaxGardenBridal bouquet
The floral designer Song admires most is Hideyuki Niwa. His works are stunning but also very good in detail expression. This kind of ultimate detail handling requires very deep skills,familiarity with materials, control of details, and the test of imagination, these are all things domestic floral designers lack。
Regarding the domestic floral market, Song believes that the two hardest things at present are, first, floral designers' grasp of beauty, and second, the cultivation of customers. These two complement each other. Without the aesthetic foundation of consumers in the broader environment, no matter how beautifully a floral designer creates, it is hard for anyone to pay. Conversely, if consumers have more advanced aesthetics, it is also futile if floral designers cannot reach that level.
Therefore domestic floral designers need to continuously refine their floral skills, and they also all have the responsibility to educate and cultivate customers. Only then is it a virtuous cycle.
MaxGardenSong's first solo exhibition work in Wuhan in 2016
Many young floral designers saythey do not want to learn structure because the structures currently seen on the market are either too ugly or made structural for the sake of structure, all showing off technique, with no beauty to speak of, and even less able to provoke thought.
After seeing Song's structures, they were truly amazed. It turns out structure can be so beautiful and fashionable, and Song pays great attention to guiding each floral designer's design according to their inspiration, so in Song's class everyone's work is different. Behind this is Song's good intentions and careful preparation.
MaxGardenDecorative architectural table flower made from the most ordinary floral material, silver willow
Song says she particularly understands everyone's prejudices about structure. As far as floral design is concerned, as long as this category serves "people," then there are actually very many places where it can be used, and there will also be more ways to realize the beauty of floral design, whilestructure is only one of them。
MaxGardenWork by a Song student who is a photographer & fencing hall boss with endless ideas in his head
Traditionally everyone thinks structure is just an artwork. In Song's class, she teaches floral designers more topay attention to the functionality of structure. She teaches everyone to use structure to improve the efficiency of making everyday floral gifts.
For example, to make a large bouquet, the traditional method takes a floral designer about 1-2 hours, very slow and very labor-consuming, but in her class she teaches students how to use simple structure to complete a large bouquet with a diameter of more than 1 meter within 20 minutes. This kind of bouquet is good-looking and low-cost, with stable and fast output, and for flower shops it can be quickly monetized.
MaxGardenSuper large bouquet, made with structural technique in only 20 minutes
At the beginning of this year, many floral designers quickly turned works learned from Song into products and sold them to customers. These unique designs allowed them to stand out from a crowd of monotonous floral products, andfloral designers who are clumsy with their hands no longer need to worry that the architectural floral design they spent a huge amount of time making is not good-looking and cannot be quickly sold for money。
Of course, what Song teaches is not only at the technical level. Besides floral knowledge, there are also delicate thinking and deconstruction ability, full understanding of materials, and so on. Besides helping everyone's wild ideas land, she also spreads the heartfelt ethos of a flower lover: only if you are in awe of nature can you create designs that move people.
MaxGardenNew Year floral gift designed by Song in 2018, copied by many peers
MaxGarden2018 New Year gift, the best-selling item after floral designers finished Song's course
MaxGarden2017 Christmas floral gift
Structure can actually be made into decorative objects, and can be used in both commercial and home spaces, and can light up the entire space. But on the road to commercializing structure, a lot of practical experience and thinking are needed:
The integration of the environment and the floral work, the relationship between the floral work and people, what role the floral work actually plays in the space, what interesting changes this structural work can produce... First, you must have your own answers in your heart.
The same question:In public space, what role does sculpture actually play? Floral works are actually the same principle as sculpture.
MaxGardenWorks by floral designers after learning
MaxGardenWorks by floral designers after learning
MaxGardenWorks by floral designers after learning
MaxGardenWorks by floral designers after learning
There are many floral designers who learn structure with Song. In a floral training industry with so many structure courses and masters gathering from all sides, why did everyone choose Song, this young post-90s floral designer?
After seeing the works of the floral designers who studied structure courses with Song, as well as their answers, the answer is not profound: "After learning Song's structure courseyou can immediately turn what you have learned into products for sale.”
MaxGarden | Decorative structural work, suitable for ornamental pieces in home environments. (Photography: Li Bailu)
MaxGarden | Decorative structural work, mainly demonstrating the use of material texture. (Photography: Li Bailu)
I once saw some interesting questions:
Have those floral designers who learned structure become poor and destitute?
What is it like to make money with architectural floral design?
After seeing Song's works, do you have a clear idea in your heart?
END