Marinaro is pleased to present, Fronds, an exhibition that will take place at two locations: Brackett Creek Exhibitions in Bozeman, Montana and Marinaro in New York. The exhibition looks at varying depictions of plant life in contemporary art.

During the Victorian phenomenon of Pteridomania or "fern craze," fern fronds became wildly popular decorative symbols. The fern frond motif was represented in a variety of materials including pottery, glass, metal, textiles, wood, printed paper and sculpture. Because fronds are somewhat flat, they could also be used for decoration in ways that many other plants could not. They were glued into collectors' albums, affixed to three-dimensional objects, used as stencils, and inked and pressed into surfaces for nature printing. The ubiquitousness of fern fronds allowed people of all social classes to participate in the collecting, decorating and art forms using these materials, which further advanced the popularity of their usage.

In the hands of contemporary artists, plants reference classical motifs, while taking on larger ideas of life, death, experience and tranquility. They are decoration and sustenance, beauty and necessity, politicized organisms and relaxing hobbies.