Colossal Sculptures by Artist Philip Haas Rise from the Garden

Celebrate four seasons in one during the Atlanta Botanical Garden's exhibition of monumental sculptures by contemporary artist Philip Haas from May through October.

Philip Haas: The Four Seasons features four gigantic busts, towering at more than 15 feet, each as whimsical embodiments of winter, spring, summer, and autumn. The three-dimensional sculptures, made of painted fiberglass, include oversized twigs, fruits, vegetables, leaves, and other natural elements indicative of their season of origin. Visitors will enjoy exploring the intricate details of these compositions lining the Great Lawn while marveling at the creative and surprising juxtaposition of recognizable plants employed in unexpected relationships.

"Haas' imaginative sculptures are beautifully detailed and celebrate the human form and treasures of the plant world in a way I've never seen before," Garden President and CEO Mary Pat Matheson said of the artist, screenwriter and filmmaker known for his Academy Award-nominated 1995 film Angels and Insects. "We are honored to have his work grace our Garden and to, once again, introduce Atlanta to one of America's most fascinating artists."

In Philip Haas: The Four Seasons, art history aficionados may recognize the references to Giuseppe Arcimboldo's 16th-century paintings combining portraiture and still life painting to achieve surreal effects. The Italian Renaissance artist personified the art and science of horticulture in his incredible assemblages, and Haas' sculptures up the ante in their bold scale, textures, and relationship with the Garden's spaces.

Beneath the sculptures, featured last summer in an exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden, a temporary garden planting forms a living carpet from which the sculptures appear to emerge. The exuberant flowers add a living element to Haas' intricate artistic vision.

On Thursdays from May through September, visitors may explore Philip Haas: The Four Seasons at night, experiencing the sculptures in a whole new light, during Cocktails in the Garden. The event, held from 6 -10 p.m., features cash bars, a live deejay and chef demonstrations.

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