Art Forms in Nature 88 1928

This is an image of a plant made by Karl Blossfeldt, maybe in the 1920s, maybe earlier, using a camera and photographic paper. It’s a symmetrical composition, kind of like a Rorschach test, making it resemble a heraldic emblem or even a butterfly. Blossfeldt found graphic power in plants, and you can see that the plant is centrally aligned, and the light helps to flatten the image, emphasizing the plant’s structure. I can imagine Blossfeldt in his studio meticulously arranging and lighting this flower so it would have a strong presence. He carefully considered the composition, isolating and emphasizing the plant's geometric qualities and surface textures. His images were part of the New Objectivity movement, but he was an individual, too, and he was thinking about the tradition of botanical illustration. This plant is so crisp, and its details so clear, that it transcends objectivity and enters the realm of wonder. It speaks to the endless creativity of nature.