Goodyera decipiens- Menzie's Rattlesnake Plantain 1931

This is a photograph of a plant called Goodyera decipiens, or Menzie's Rattlesnake Plantain, made by Edwin Hale Lincoln. It's a black and white print, so already we're seeing the world translated. I imagine Lincoln setting up his camera, carefully arranging the plant just so, trying to capture its delicate beauty. Did he feel kinship with this little plant? It seems to me that he did. Look at the way the light catches on the leaves, the subtle gradations of tone, and the sharp focus. It's not just a record, it's a portrait. His process here reminds me of the work of other artist-botanists like Agnes Denes, only with a more classical approach. This piece reminds us that all art comes out of a dialogue. Lincoln is speaking with the plant, with the history of photography, and with us, the viewers. And we, in turn, are part of that conversation. It’s a process of exchange, of give and take, where meaning emerges through the act of seeing and feeling.