Art Funded by you

Poppy Garden II

Afruz Amighi, 2010

This commission is a stencilled screen suspended from the museum's ceiling and lit, casting dramatic shadows on the walls beyond. Poppy Garden II resembles a large Persian carpet with a garden design. However the central Cypress tree is slowly being poisoned by the surrounding poppies. ‘Skeleton keys’ hang from the tree, symbols of the Iranians who died in the Iran-Iraq ‘holy war’ where children were sent into battle wearing plastic keys to ensure their entry into Heaven. The beauty of the foliage and poppies forms a contrast with the death and destruction implied by the elegantly depicted hypodermic needles and keys. The work also hints at Iran’s history of opium production and the current drug problems in that country. This work will complement the large collection of Persian textiles at Bristol.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Poppy Garden II, 2010

Date supported

2010

Medium and material

Pe-cap fabric & plexiglass

Dimensions

22.9 x 16.5 cm

Grant

1900

Total cost

7600

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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