The Name of And (1989-1993) was made in
botanical gardens in North America, partly
in response to the loss of friends from AIDS.
While creating these photographs Wides came
across Luce Irigaray’s essay, “Belief Itself”
in Sexes and Geneologies. Her words wove
through Wides' mind as she articulated the layered
associations of the flowers in their seasonal
cycle of growth, decline, and rest:


“Love, pain, life and death are kept there, secret,
enigmatic, barely breathing out their melody
beyond or through all speakable words.”


In Wides' translation of the rich language of flowers,
the horticultural nameplates amplify and unlock
new meanings. Steeped in myths and cultural
symbolism, the names are manipulated to
swim in and out of focus to create an interplay
of image and words like found poetry—
sometimes ironic, sometimes filled with longing.