Jennifer Pattison

Flower Boys is a series of portraits made from 2013 to 2016.

The project emerged through a couple of noticed moments. Visiting my hometown in Sussex for the weekend I had seen Victorian miniature paintings in a local gallery; in the tiny paintings all the women appeared supine, holding flowers. All the men were puffed up in heroic uniforms. Back in Hackney, East London where I lived at the time, I watched boys with long hair and bright silk bomber jackets glide by. I found these different codes of dressing interesting. I wanted to reflect this soft side of men which I wasn’t seeing enough of. Pairing each subject with a different bloom, I began to imagine a world where anyone can hold flowers.
Styled by Christopher Kelly & Joanna Simpson, street cast by Joanna Simpson and myself. Special thanks to McQueen's florist for supporting the project with their wonderful flowers.