NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY

SAMANTHA REITER

April 14 – June 19, 2022

Rochester-based botanical artist Samantha Reiter presents a series of pieces reflecting upon the beautiful nature of life—the imperfect, the impermanent, and the incomplete.

Artist Statement

Throughout history and especially in our present day, people have been pressured into believing that we must attain perfection and control over our lives. Though this strive for perfection can certainly promote progress and success, it can also have a detrimental effect on the mental health of those who seek it. I’ve noticed this yearning for perfection present in many people’s encounters with plants, myself included. We become frustrated when our gardens, backyards, or houseplants don’t look the way we want. We feel powerless against the innate forces of nature, such as the end of a plant’s life or bloom cycle, changes in season, or pests.

Plants can teach us acceptance and appreciation of the imperfect nature of the world around us. There is beauty in beginnings, flaws, and even death. This concept is a recurring theme in the world view of wabi-sabi, originating from ancient Japan.

I hope that through these pieces you will become more mindful of the subtle beauty of our perfectly imperfect world and feel inspired to bring wabi-sabi teachings not only into your interactions with plants, but into your everyday lives as well.

About the Artist

Samantha Reiter is a self-taught artist and houseplant enthusiast who combined her passions for art and nature to form @chlorocreations. Originally from Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, she moved to Rochester after receiving her degree in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Using primarily colored pencils, Samantha applies the same attention to detail in her drawings as she does in her day job as a cell biologist. Her artwork is available at Threshold Arts and on her Etsy storefront.