Witte poria op een stomp van een denneboom c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this photograph of white poria on a pine tree stump sometime around the early twentieth century. The image is soft, and the tonality is subtle. You can almost smell the damp earth and pine needles. I imagine Tepe carefully selecting his viewpoint, adjusting his camera, and waiting for the right moment to capture this intimate scene. What was he thinking when he made this picture? What did he want to emphasize? The white fungi have a sculptural quality. They're a bit like cascading, ruffled brushstrokes frozen in time, or ghostly white impasto. The textures are amazing, from the rough bark of the stump to the delicate folds of the fungi. This image reminds me of the work of other nature photographers, like Karl Blossfeldt, who captured the beauty and complexity of plants and natural forms. There is an ongoing dialogue between artists across time, inspiring one another's creativity.