CJPs Rewilding Rainforest Pineapples offer more than just a totally tropical taste.
Pineapples have had an enduring appeal within the worlds of fashion and interiors since the 15th century when they became widely known in Europe, becoming Western symbols of hospitality and a warm welcome. While you can thank Christopher Columbus for introducing it to the West, it was the Maya and Aztec communities who first cultivated the obscure plant.
Once in Europe, the (then) hard-to-come-by fruit charmed society – whether served up as a tropical candied treat at dinner parties or used as gilded adornments on furniture, lighting and home accents. And if recent years’ fashion and design trends are anything to go by, this plant’s natural form still maintains that same magical pull.
Saying that, pineapples aren’t solely a nice decorative trend – they can carry a far deeper message. Just take a look at artist CJP’s Rainforest Rewild Pineapple prints and you’ll discover there’s more to this sweet fruit than meets the eye.
Let’s be clear: the intricacies of CJP’s artwork instantly makes it more special than your average pineapple. Hidden within the bromeliad’s tightly overlapping leaves and suckers (that is actually a technical term) are representatives of Costa Rica’s animal kingdom. This particular pineapple becomes a zoology lesson in local wildlife, highlighting all sorts of creatures from a jaguar, harpy eagle and sloth to spider monkeys, toucans, a kinkajou and parrot.
What you don’t necessarily know, however, is that almost all of these animals are on the list of endangered species, with one of the key reasons behind that being loss of habitat due to the destruction of the rainforests in which they live. So, you see, within CJP’s painstakingly detailed inkwork there’s a hidden message that takes us from fanciful fruit to far more serious subjects in the blink of an eye.
The artist is clearly passionate about this major environmental issue and, as such, has actively chosen to donate a percentage of the profits from sales of this print to The World Land Trust, who work to protect, conserve, rewild and regenerate threatened habitats around the world. One of the organisation’s patrons is Sir David Attenborough so, by investing in one of CJP’s Rainforest Rewild Pineapples and supporting the WLT, you’ll be in very good company.
The giclee prints are available in two sizes – A3 and A2 – and five different colourways, so there should be one to suit your tastes. Take your pick and then sit back and enjoy the view from your own natural habitat.
