Foreword I
first met Antonio in 2011 while working at a creative agency in Austin, Texas. I had seen his work all over the city prior to this time: in the corridors of bars I was getting kicked out of, weddings I had no business being at, and in the homes of other artists littered around the Texas capital. When I met the man behind the terrariums, sculptures and floral arrangements, I finally had some context to the gorgeous artwork sprouting up all over the city.
While Austin has transformed from a laid-back town to a bustling tech city, Antonio's floral work has remained a constant accent in much of the city's landscape. His artwork transforms the rooms and events for which he designs. From wakes to weddings, dive bars to boutique hotels, his work always feels at home and in place. Most of his floral arrangements are ephemeral, existing only long enough to last the duration of a brief event. And while there is beauty in transient art, it becomes difficult to describe or share. I feel Antonio's body of work deserves greater attention, especially outside of Austin's borders: hence the reason for this book. Transplants is a small collection of Antonio's best work from the past few years and I hope that you find this collection as inspiring and profound as I have. –John-Paul Garrigues
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Transplants' tools
Introduction I
developed the concepts that Transplants: Eclectic Floral Design is based on during my time working at a local flower shop. What is now the core component of this book: diverse, often dark elements incorporated into modern floral arrangements, was at the time, an idea born of necessity. I was just a poor kid who fundamentally could not afford the more expensive flowers I wanted to use in my work. I still wanted to make cool designs, so I relied on my random collection of knick-knacks and what-have-yous stashed around the house. I started as and still very much am a frugal florist, to the extent that buying flowers wholesale allows.
My initial arrangements were sparse, rife with empty spaces that were, frankly, a reflection of my empty wallet. To fill some of this empty space, I started to play with using non-floral placeholders in my arrangements. Small garden statues, weird pieces of wood, shells, antique figurines, and the like were at first placeholders, but eventually became permanent staples and ultimately the focal points of my work. With this evolution in my style came an obsession with collecting. All florists are innately aware of the seasonality of various species and must adapt to what is available each month. However, this awareness paired a with drive to collect became a veritable compulsion for me. When a nearby town was overcome by a forest fire, I led impromptu field expeditions to scout out the most twisted, charred and deteriorated flora we could find. At various times during the year, I would drag my friends on long road trips, heading into the desert or to dilapidated coastal towns to collect odd pieces of wood, random wildflowers, and discarded flotsam. And to relish in a bit of corniness for a moment: the most valued treasures I’ve found to date have been my wonderful friend—all willing to accommodate my wild and crazy excursions.
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What is this book? Through the creation of this book, I have taken the same approach that I use while assembling my floral arrangements: the images are arranged in somewhat of a stream-of-consciousness manner; difficult to define, but recognizable as you leaf through the pages. Patterns emerge, and elements of color, texture, mood, and composition become apparent. The repetition and re-use of elements is deliberate, and something I do often. However, while I may use the same flowers and trinkets repeatedly, no two arrangements are ever the same. And whether used in a dive bar, an art gallery or a wake, each piece should reflect its raison d'être. Initially, this book was intended to be a field guide, showcasing the various regional wildflowers and roadside accouterments one can use in arrangements. However, after having some unanticipated hospital time to reflect, and the more I explored the field guide concept, the less elegant and less natural it became. Therefore, I felt the best approach for this book would be to emulate the methods I took to learning floral design. During my time at a flower shop, I learned almost exclusively through observing others. No one sat me down and gave me lessons on design or arranging. I merely noticed what worked, took note of what I enjoyed and incorporated those concepts into my work. I wouldn’t really call it imitation, but I picked the elements of different florists’ styles that made sense, molded them and made them my own. This book serves two purposes. One is to showcase some of the arrangements I’ve created in the last year—effectively a coffee table book. Secondly, this book can be used as an introduction to creating your own unorthodox and eclectic floral arrangements. For those wanting to learn, my hope is that you take the same approach that I did in developing a personal style of floral arrangement. There are many artists and designers out there, each with their own definitive styles. Emulating tiny elements from many sources and combining them to into your own is precisely how I learned my trade. I’ve included some of the ingredients I’ve used on select pieces to give you an idea of how to approach some of your arrangements. Start simple, embrace restraint and enjoy the process!
–Antonio Bond
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