Daisy Patton Enlarges Vintage Photos Into Paintings
An exhibition at the Denver Botanic Gardens features life-sized artworks that cover historical figures with oil paint and fabric.
By Ana Castro ·
Visitors to the Denver Botanic Gardens encounter a series of large-scale portraits that merge archival photography with contemporary floral imagery. The exhibition, titled The Place of Flowers, presents work by artist Daisy Patton that transforms vintage images into colorful, textured installations.
Patton sources black-and-white photographs from antique shops, thrift stores, and online auctions. These images typically depict individuals or groups from the first half of the 20th century. Subjects are often posed for milestones such as weddings, graduations, or family reunions. Patton scans these pictures and enlarges them to human scale before beginning her painting process.
Using oil paint, she covers the faces and bodies of the subjects with flowers, branches, and vines. She applies bold shades of pink, orange, and yellow to the clothing of the figures. One untitled piece shows four people on a park picnic, likely from the 1940s or 1950s. Patton painted their socks yellow and their buttons fuchsia while surrounding them with red petals and a pink sky.
Another work features two men shaking hands, possibly a groom and a groomsman. Patton painted one suit pink and the other a cantaloupe color. She enhances the background with vines and rich colors. Beyond the canvas, she adds physical elements such as fabrics, artificial flowers, buttons, and embroidery thread. Some pieces include elaborate frames and outer layers of puffy fabric.
The exhibition wall text describes Patton's process as an act of love that revives people and moments lost to time. It calls the paintings gardens of living memory where flowers bloom forever and loved ones past never fade. The installation aims to create a connection between the viewer and the historical subjects, prompting reflection on personal celebrations and departed family members.
The artworks raise questions about artistic interpretation and historical accuracy. Patton projects specific personalities onto the subjects through color and texture. Some viewers may find this mythologizing to be venerating, while others might view it as intrusive or distorting. The pieces exploit images of people who had no control over how they were depicted in life or death.
The exhibition continues through January 31 at the Denver Botanic Gardens, located at 1007 York Street. Information is available by calling 720-865-3500 or visiting botanicgardens.org.
