Art Forms in Nature 59 1928

This black and white photograph, “Art Forms in Nature 59” was made by Karl Blossfeldt, and it presents three studies of plants. I wonder what it was like for Blossfeldt, isolating these plant forms with his camera. It’s like he’s saying, "Look closely!"— isolating them from their natural environment. The crispness of the image is just amazing, a little spooky! There is something about the image which evokes the tradition of botanical illustration with the aesthetic of modernist photography, which makes it so very appealing. I love the veins in the leaves, and the way he's captured the light dancing off the surface of the plant. You can see the influence of the Bauhaus and New Objectivity movements in the clear presentation. The close-up perspective turns these little plants into monumental structures, making me think about the connections between art, science, and nature. Isn't it amazing how an image can speak volumes?