The Colour Changing Flower Bed

I don’t think anyone has ever recycled wonder before, but I think this just about ticks the box. A brand new art-illusion fusing magic, science and floristry, inspired by possibilities that only become apparent when you change your perspective.

Presenting the Colour Changing Flower Bed – an idea that was developed with my great friend, mathematician Mark Collins back in 2013 was realised in public spaces around Edinburgh and viewed by over 10,000 people!

Colour Changing Flower Bed – aha – I get it. Flowers on a bedstead. But wait… there’s more. It’s smarter than that. There are three sweet spots for viewing the bed, when you move from one to the other, only one colour of flower is visible – hence the ‘colour change’. See the video below for one with the number ’30’ embedded (haha) inside the flower arrangement.

The work features over 1000 flowers – painstakingly placed, taking 3 days to prepare. The honeycomb frame, which makes the ‘colour change’ illusion possible, is made from over 600 playing cards that I’ve used in past performances over the last ten years. Some are signed, some are dog eared, all are being recyled to create a moment of wonder once again.

One of my big character flaws is starting projects and then leaving them unfinished. Nothing frustrates me more. So I’m immensely proud to show you this, an idea that took two years to develop.