In the Night Garden: Chiron Comet

British contemporary artist Marc Quinn is a central figure in the Young British Artists (YBA) group. Marc Quinn often employs non-traditional materials to subvert traditional intentions, focusing on the relationship between humans and nature, as well as identity and the definition of beauty, in his work. At the beginning of the 21st century, he began to create hyper-realistic floral works, exploring the theme of “life.” In In the Night Garden: Chiron Comet, brightly colored orchids are placed against a pitch-black artificial background. To Quinn, these orchids are like small sculptures evolved by nature, carrying a dual meaning of life and reproduction, implying a bold imagination of life and its reproductive processes. “Chiron,” by astronomical definition, is both a comet and a planet. Quinn’s comparison of flowers and stars evokes the universality of all things, including human beings, within the universe. It also highlights the philosophical connections between different objects.