The exhibition showcases the technique of Risograph printing, a process that uses a specialized machine to blend elements of digital photocopying and traditional silkscreening. Known for its distinct fluorescent ink colors, the process results in a slightly different outcome for each print, introducing an element of chance that printmakers call "Riso magic." Sandhaus creates her prints through a multi-step digital and physical dance, dragging flowers across scanners, breaking them down into colorful shapes, and blending them with historical botanical drawings.
While the bold forms and colors are created to evoke joy, the collection also carries a deeper message. It reflects ideas from biologist David George Haskell’s book, How Flowers Made Our World, which presents flowers as adaptable, clever, and highly successful beings. Haskell's core thesis is that flowers are not passive, ornamental background characters in nature. Instead, they are "beautiful revolutionaries" that literally built the modern world by creating the habitats that allowed birds, bees, butterflies, and mammals to evolve. Sandhaus’s work pairs striking visual beauty with ecological depth, inviting the public to engage with the colorful collage works while discovering a deeper perspective on flowers as vital forces of nature.
About the Artist
Louise Sandhaus is an American graphic designer and design educator. She is a professor emeritus at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and the principal of LSD (Louise Sandhaus Design). She was awarded the AIGA Medal for her exceptional contributions to American design as a mentor and author, and served as a 2024/25 artist-in-residence at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve.
