Expanding the dialogue between horology and art, Jaeger-LeCoultre has unveiled a new instalment of its Made of Makers programme.
Multi-media artist Brendi Wedinger, like other collaborators, spent time at Jaeger-LeCoultre's home in the Vallée de Joux to discover watchmaking crafts and explore the natural surroundings.
"Everything about that visit -- from the wildflowers in the fields to the incredible complexity and tiny scale of the watch components and the patience and skill of all the different craftsmen in the Manufacture -- was like a romantic fantasy world, so far from the lightning-fast pace of modern life," says Wedinger.
The visit inspired The 1931 Golden Flowers series that celebrates the design of the iconic Reverso timepiece.
Based in Los Angeles, Wedinger is known for three-dimensional digital artworks that blur the boundary between real life and fantasy. Nature is her primary theme with an emphasis on biodiversity, sustainability and renewal.
She combines various elements to form a surreal visual reality that is almost tangible, occasionally abstract and often highly sculptural.
"Rather than using a computer programme to design the work from the outset, I always begin by using technical tools to hand-sculpt larger three-dimensional elements, such as petals, and hand-draw the fine details. Once I have completed this stage, I use a lot of mathematical equations to create textures, transparency and layering effects," she explains.
Wedinger's 3D artworks are inspired by the flora of the Vallée de Joux.
"What drew me to the digital medium is that it gives me more tools to play with and a wider scope for experimentation, so that my work becomes a more expressive homage to nature rather than a literal representation of it."
She imagined flowers in the Vallée de Joux through changing seasons, resulting in Flos Montis Fluit (Flower Of The Mountain Flows); Gemma Vallis (The Jewel Of The Vallée); and Rhapsodia Petalorum Alpinorum (The Rhapsody Of Alpine Petals).
Referencing the year of the Reverso's launch, the three creations also go by the name 1931 Golden Poppy, 1931 Golden Orchid and 1931 Golden Thistle.
The first bloom is a combination of poppy, alpine pasque and grass of parnassus. Poet's daffodil, red hemp nettle and late spider orchid are blended to create the 1931 Golden Orchid, while elements of water mint, pincushion flower and alpine thistle appear in the third surrealistic flower.
"When people look more deeply at each work, they will see that every element is recognisable and traceable to a natural flower, but I remixed and layered the details to emphasise their surreal nature," Wedinger says.
1931 Golden Poppy.
Another important element of the commission was that the flowers should be digitally rendered in one of the precious metals used at Jaeger-LeCoultre, which creates a hyper-realistic illusion of shadows and reflections created by light falling on polished gold, further amplifying the surreal effect.
Blurring the lines between the real and surreal, the Maison commissioned a French plant breeder to identify a flower that closely resembles the form of the 1931 Golden Orchid and to breed an exclusive hybrid.
The resulting 1931 White Orchid is a natural and physical representation of Wedinger's art piece.
The 1931 Golden Flowers -- in both their physical and virtual forms -- will become part of the Swiss brand's visual identity and be seen in a wide variety of initiatives in the future.
1931 Golden Orchid.
1931 Golden Thistle.
