Andee Collard: The Machine Garden

Lowell Ryan Projects is thrilled to present The Machine Garden, a solo exhibition by UK-based artist Andee Collard and his first with the gallery. Comprised of a series of still-life paintings of assorted flowers, including tulips, sunflowers, and gladiolas, that were purchased at a local supermarket, each painting is created using a machine made by the artist. A version of the machine will also be on view during the exhibition, painting works on-site during the opening reception. By exploring the interplay between human creativity and mechanical execution, Collard’s approach challenges traditional concepts of authorship and craftsmanship, positioning the machine as both a tool and a creative partner.

Displayed like files on a computer’s desktop, the paintings fill the upper gallery space in unapologetic series. A palette of purple, lavender, and blue sets off the bright yellows, reds, pinks, and oranges of the petals. While at first glance the works might appear repetitive, each piece informs the next, revealing subtle shifts in approach. Collard iterates at every stage—from capturing and creating digital images and processing that data into vector form, to selecting the palette and producing the final painting. These images are then translated into vector data via bespoke software that programs Collard’s custom-built computer numerical control (CNC) painting machines. Unlike other mechanized production techniques, his CNC machines employ actual oil paint and brushes to render vibrant impasto compositions, accentuating the inherent qualities of the medium. Though a machine technically applies the paint, Collard’s creative vision and direction are interwoven throughout every stage of the process.

A meditation on the evolution of art making, The Machine Garden echoes historical shifts like the impact of photography on Impressionism, while interrogating the role of AI and machine learning in contemporary life and creativity. Collard’s subject matter further expands this investigation through the use of genetically cultivated flowers—highly modified species created to provide a cheap and reliable product on a supermarket shelf. Manipulating technology to explore how mechanical processes can coexist with, and even enhance, traditional artistry, Collard’s paintings further a discourse between natural growth and technological intervention, with each generation expanding on the aesthetic and conceptual possibilities of the one before.