Orchidmania

Ella Moody

For this project I have chosen to focus on orchids, one of the most diverse plant families known. Orchidmania was a Victorian epidemic of madness, collecting and discovering orchids across the globe. Aristocats of the time and their personal collectors used the orchids as trophies and emblems of manly courage and hunting prowess, highlighting traditional masculinity. While their beauty breeds obsession, the orchid's vulnerability opens our eyes to wider issues we face today such as climate change, insatiable consumerism and capitalist ventures still risking nature today. I’ve used the research I’ve explored to shed light on these beautiful plants' history. I decided to make a puzzle purse, a handmade Victorian Valentines card, to highlight not only the complexity of the plant (symbolised through the folding of the puzzle purse, as it is a fairly complex piece) but also as a nod to the admiration of orchids throughout time (both maliciously due to obsession and with care and affection through preservation efforts). I kept the colour palette simple, B+W, as I wanted to have detailed illustrations without distraction and shadow/silhouettes of the orchids symbolic of species we’ve lost through extinction. The poem in the puzzle purse is an ode and promise to the orchid - describing briefly of how we have abused them.