Selby gives a sneak peek of its new Andy Warhol exhibit

The name “Andy Warhol” conjures plenty of bold, colorful images, but the subjects of said images tend to be the reflections of American consumerism that made him famous.

Starting Sunday, Feb. 11, visitors to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens can get a sense of the lesser-known — yet equally vibrant — side of Warhol: the nature lover.

“Land really is the best art,” Andy Warhol once said, as Selby President/CEO Jennifer Rominiecki told media preview attendees viewing the garden’s latest exhibit, “Warhol: Flowers in the Factory,” Feb. 8.

Warhol created more than 10,000 images of flowers throughout his career, and Selby now has six of those original floral prints on display at the Payne Mansion until June 30.

Also on display in the mansion are reproductions of archival photos of Warhol himself and the polaroid “Christmas Poinsettias” that inspired the prints on view, lithographs “Flower” and “Happy Bug Day” and a book the artist created entitled “In the Bottom of My Garden.”

The two other components of the exhibit are the grounds of the gardens along with the conservatory, which have been transformed into a “floral playground” reflecting the iconic artist’s creative style.

Throughout the run of the exhibit, garden visitors can go to the conservatory to view epiphytic plants displayed as living art in scenes that evoke Warhol’s artistic tendencies. Examples of this include rows upon rows of strategically planted species that depict his affinity for repetition and grid formats.

In the center of it all is what Rominiecki calls the “Warwall,” which spans the entire southern wall of the green house. It contains a grid of 600 bromeliad plants, which she says is the largest known display of bromeliads in the world.

The Selby grounds also reflect the artist’s playful, vivacious creative sensibilities with several potted displays arranged as a grid, along with colorful installations along the bayfront.

For more information on the exhibit, click here.