“Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium,” Jersey City, 2021
Wildflowers aren't commonly found in urban spaces, but artist Mona Caron is slowly changing that fact. The San Francisco-based artist creates massive murals of plant life as part of her ongoing WEEDS series. Her newest addition is a 20-story mural of a flower that sprouts from the Jersey City skyline.
Commissioned by the Jersey City Mural Arts Program, the piece depicts a plant that is native to the site called Eutrochium. Caron captures one of these wildflowers in exquisite detail and places it against a stark black background that enhances the red-and-green palette of the plant. In this way, the format of the painting recalls vintage botanical illustrations.
“I’m calling the piece Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium. It is not actually a weed but a wildflower native to this area,” Caron explains. “It turns out that the common name of this Eutrochium purpureum I painted—Joe Pye Weed—refers to the western name of a Native American healer of the 19th century, who is said to have utilized this plant in phytotherapy. His Mohican name is transcribed as Shauquethqueat.
“This anecdote works well with the questions I always like to raise with my WEEDS series, regarding what belongs to the land and what doesn’t, who is invading and what is at home, in addition to thoughts about ways to overcome, to resist, to reconquer what has been lost and damaged through western human intervention.”
You can see the mural in person in Jersey City, and keep up to date with Caron's latest projects by following her on Instagram.
San Francisco-based artist Mona Caron created a massive 20-story mural of a wildflower.
“Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium,” Jersey City, 2021
Entitled Eutrochium after the species of plant, the mural can be seen in Jersey City, New Jersey.
“Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium,” Jersey City, 2021
“Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium,” Jersey City, 2021
“Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium,” Jersey City, 2021
“Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium,” Jersey City, 2021
“Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium,” Jersey City, 2021
Watch this video for another view of the mural:
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