The Name of And (1989-1993) was made in botanical gardens throughout North America, partly in response to the loss of friends from AIDS. While creating these photographs, I came across the Luce Irigaray’s essay, “Belief Itself” in Sexes and Genealogies. Her words wove through my mind as I articulated the layered associations of the flowers in their seasonal cycle of growth, decline, and rest:

“Love, pain, life and death are kept there, secret, enigmatic, barely breathing out their melody beyond or through all speakable words.”

In my translation of the rich language of flowers, the horticultural nameplates amplify and unlock new meanings. Steeped in myths and cultural symbolism, the names are manipulated to swim in and out of focus to create an interplay of image and words like found poetry—sometimes ironic, sometimes filled with longing.

--Susan Wides