Rebecca Louise Law: The Womb

Step into The Womb, an immersive experience that explores the fleeting beauty of nature, and enter the thought-provoking world of British artist Rebecca Louise Law, an international figure in installation art whose canvas is the air.

With the simplicity of natural material and her signature copper wire, Rebecca Louise Law profoundly redefines the concept of evolving beauty in fresh and dry flora. The Womb is her latest landmark exhibition, and you can only see it at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

Nature and color played center stage in the artist’s life from a very young age. Inspired by her family’s nursery garden, Law first learned to press flowers into paintings from her grandmother. Years later, as an art student at England’s Newcastle University, she studied painting, but quickly moved from canvas to using flowers as sculptural material. The opportunity to explore new materials inspired her desire to push the boundaries of her own art.

Rebecca Louise Law: The Womb, 2019. Mixed Media.

Photo by Chuck Heiney.

“I began to research my own motivation for creating art,” remembers Law. “Art and gardens influenced my life from a young age, yet when I was painting a flower, it was never large enough. I wanted my viewers to be completely enveloped by it.” She turned her focus to color field painters, admiring how their technique drew viewers in. After years of creating large-scale works herself, Law took her art to a new dimension. “I wanted to break free from the canvas and paint the air. I used food, fabric, plastic and natural materials. I entwined flowers into the work, with mad collective installations and started to see the incredible possibilities.” In 2003, Law swapped paints for preserved flowers. In the years since, she has created renowned installations that provide an intimate, intriguing look into her fascination with humanity’s relationship with nature. The Womb is comprised of undulating vines suspended from the ceiling that envelop visitors as they enter the space. “It gives the sensation of being cocooned in nature,” continues Law. “I looked at the womb as a vessel and studied its science and form through paintings and sculptures.”

It’s an organic installation that’s best experienced with focused intention void of technology. As visitors make their way down the defined path that leads to The Womb, the artist asks them to refrain from using mobile devices or cameras. Doing so keeps them present in the moment—it’s an invitation to become part of the exhibition. “It was important to me to consider the best viewer experience,” notes the artist. “In the gallery, I have allowed a space for taking photographs. But once you enter the artwork, your focus [should] be on your personal experience with nature without that distraction. The artwork has tranquility and peacefulness—I want viewers to feel cocooned.” Creating such colossal works like The Womb requires Law to continually grow her collection of flowers. More than 10,000 fresh flora came from Meijer Gardens alone, joining the more than one million flowers and plants comprising the installation. Staff and volunteers assisted the artist by gathering and wiring each piece by hand.

“The natural grounds here are abundant and I am passionate about including it in my ongoing collection,” says Law. “It has been inspiring to be surrounded by art and horticulture. I’m extremely happy with this exhibition and thankful for the freedom to explore the wonder and beauty of The Womb.”