Unlike the roses planted in error by the hapless gardeners in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the roses in my linocut Everything’s coming up roses were always intended to be red. Throughout their transformation from white to crimson, however, I couldn’t help but recall one of my all-time favourite books (along with its companion volume, Through the Looking Glass), which it seems still influence my own work, even when I’m not conscious of it. Incidentally, the Alice books were also revered by the Surrealists.
A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red. Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, `Look out now, Five! Don't go splashing paint over me like that!’…
…`Would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, `why you are painting those roses?'
Five and Seven said nothing, but looked at Two. Two began in a low voice, `Why the fact is, you see, Miss, this here ought to have been a red rose-tree, and we put a white one in by mistake; and if the Queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know. So you see, Miss, we're doing our best, afore she comes, to--' At this moment Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called out `The Queen! The Queen!' and the three gardeners instantly threw themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps, and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.
To read the entire chapter, click here:
https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~rgs/alice-VIII.html
