Jim Dine Flowers and Plants

Book excerpt: Unusual techniques underlie the uniqueness of much of Dine's botanical work. On several ceramic jars created to his specifications, Dine has drawn towering foxgloves or a clump of crocuses or a strong old trunk with a tangled network of branches - giving these plants an unexpected context that provokes new thinking. His eagerness to get down his ideas leads Dine to press any blank surface into use: two handsome wooden panels, purchased to become doors, now provide the backgrounds for an imposing thicket of weeds and a glorious bunch of gladiolas.