“yOU SHOULD JUST ASK CHATGPT”

A Victorian Bouquet reimagined for the digital age

“You Should Just Ask ChatGPT” by Erin (Els) Jones. A Victorian tussie-mussie, translated into binary and CMYK

ARTIST STATEMENT

This bouquet reimagines the Victorian art of floriography as a message for today.

Seeking a thoroughly modern phrase, I asked multiple Gen Z voices what best epitomises their generation and, after much hesitation, each gave the same reply: “I don’t know — you should just ask ChatGPT.” It struck me as the perfect message: a paradox where Victorian symbolism is used to communicate something utterly modern, a phrase unimaginable in that era.

Each flower was chosen for its traditional meaning and crafted in CMYK tones with holographic and laser accents, deliberately stylised to echo machine-generated imagery. Look closely and you’ll find subtle glitches: a misplaced petal, a binary stem, a hidden message.

And if you’d like to know what it says? Well… you should just ask ChatGPT.

“You Should Just Ask ChatGPT” is on display from 12 Nov 2025 - 24 Jan 2026, as part of Boroondara’s Summer Salon exhibition.

Town Hall Gallery, 360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122

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Floriography & Symbolism

Victorian floriography was the practice of using flowers to send coded messages, each bloom carrying symbolic meaning. In this bouquet:

Pansy → Thought & curiosity
Anemone → Anticipation
Sweet Pea → Gratitude & lightness
Snapdragon → Wit & hidden strength
Rosemary → Memory & wisdom
Mint → Intelligence & warmth
Vine → Fidelity & connection
Camellia → Admiration & perfection

Together, these blooms create a layered story of thought, trust, and curiosity—mirroring the way we now seek knowledge from AI.

Colour & Style

CMYK Palette: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black — a nod to printing, modern media, and digital reproduction.
Holographic & Iridescent Accents: Representing technology, glitch, and futuristic possibility.
Glitches: A misplaced petal here, a binary stem there — subtle disruptions echoing digital imperfection.

Hidden Binary

The bouquet encodes a binary message, woven into petals and leaves.

The translation? You should just ask ChatGPT.

01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000

01110011 01101000 01101111 01110101 01101100 01100100 00100000

01101010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000

01100001 01110011 01101011 00100000

01100011 01101000 01100001 01110100 01100111 01110000 01110100

Breakdown by word:

you → 01111001 01101111 01110101
(space) → 00100000
should → 01110011 01101000 01101111 01110101 01101100 01100100
(space) → 00100000
just → 01101010 01110101 01110011 01110100
(space) → 00100000
ask → 01100001 01110011 01101011
(space) → 00100000
chatgpt → 01100011 01101000 01100001 01110100 01100111 01110000 01110100

To create your own floral message today, start by deciding what you want to say: is it love, hope, joy, or something more personal?

Choose flowers whose traditional meanings reflect your message, and consider the colours too—since shades often change the nuance (for example, red roses for passion versus white roses for purity).

Arrange them so the most important flower is central, with supporting blooms and foliage building the story around it.

Just like in the past, your bouquet becomes a coded letter—one that speaks not with words, but with petals.

how to send your own floral message

common flowers and their traditional meanings

carnation

Pink: a mother’s love, appreciation, fascination; Red: deep love, admiration, desire; White: innocence, pure love; Yellow: disappointment, rejection, the ‘break up flower’.

chrysanthemum

Pink: femininity, motherhood, love, healing; Red: love, passion, good luck, prosperity; White: loyalty, remembrance; Yellow: sorrow, a broken heart.

daffodil

Rebirth, resiliance, new beginnings, hope, love, hope, joy, good fortune. In it’s context as the Narcissus, it can represent vanity and unrequited love.

dahlia

Pink: feminine beauty, elegance, kindness; Red: power, strength, passion; White: purity, innocence, rebirth; Yellow/Orange: joy, cheerfulness, excitement; Purple: grace, kindness, dignity; Black: betrayal, sadness, negative associations.

daisy

Optimism, joy, new beginnings, innocence, loyal love. They can represent motherhood, childbirth and new life.

hyacinth

Red: playfulness, fun. White: overall loveliness, a prayer for a loved one; Yellow: jealousy; Purple: deep regret, a request for forgiveness; Blue: sincere care for another.

hydrangea

Pink: thoughtfulness, love, grace; White: purity, innocence; Purple: wealth, abundance, congratulations on a promotion; Blue: regret, apologies, gratitude; Green: good fortune, vitality, a fresh start.

iris

White: innocence, purity, new baby gift; Yellow: passion; Purple: royalty, wisdom, safe passage; Blue: faith, hope, trust.

lily

Pink: admiration, infatuation, non-romantic love; Red: passion, romance, a dedicated heart; White: modesty, commitment, sympathy, condolences; Yellow: cheerfulness, support, friendship; Orange: excitement, honour, respect; Purple: success, accomplishment, being proud of another.

marigold

Traditionally represented despair, grief and remembrance of the dead; modern interpretations lean towards celebrating the vibrant, sunny shades of the Marigold, success, optimism and the power of rebirth.

rose

Pink/Peach: gratitude, admiration, femininity, sincerity; Red: love, romance, passion, desire - deeper tones indicate stronger commitment; White: celebration, thoughtfulness, grace, new beginnings; Yellow: traditionally represented jealousy, modern interpretations include warmth, friendless and lasting happiness; Orange: enthusiasm, energy, heartfelt celebration, congratulations; Purple: opulence, luxury, rarity; Green: renewal, rejuvenation, hope.

sunflower

Seen as a direct embodiment of the sun, representing warmth, happiness, optimism, appreciation, longevity, loyalty, adoration.

tulip

Pink: congratulations, cheerfulness, care for another, platonic love; Red: romantic love, passion; White: regret, apologies, condolences, purity, honour; Yellow: traditionally represented jealousy, unrequited love - modern interpretations include cheerfulness and joy; Orange: care, understanding, compromise, connectiion between two people; Purple: grace, refinement, luxury; Blue: peace, tranquility, trust.

violet

Modesty, humility, grace, faithfulness, delicate beauty, love, remembrance, spiritual wisdom.

VISIT THE PAPER POSY CO

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ABOUT THE PAPER POSY CO

Why settle for flowers that fade when you can have blooms that last forever?

At The Paper Posy Co, we handcraft paper bouquets that are bold, colourful, and bursting with personality.

Every petal is cut, shaped, coloured and styled with love — think modern design meets a splash of whimsy. From disco-bright statements to dreamy pastel daydreams, our posies are made to match every mood and every moment.

Sustainable, customisable, and a little bit cheeky, our flowers don’t just sit pretty — they start conversations. Perfect for gifts, weddings, or treating yourself “just because.”

Petals with Personality — because boring blooms just aren’t our vibe.