Art Forms in Nature 28 1928

Karl Blossfeldt made this gelatin silver print called Art Forms in Nature 28. Look at this picture of nature; here are three studies of plants, presented in this very ordered, precise way. It seems like Blossfeldt is searching for the underlying structure of nature. You know, the way all the parts connect to the whole. I think he’s thinking about what it means to look, and to really see what's in front of us. To really see what’s there. There’s something about the way he’s isolated these natural forms, making them into specimens, like he’s discovered them for the first time. I guess what I love about these pictures is how they invite us to look closer, to question our perceptions, and to find beauty in the unexpected. It reminds me of the ongoing conversation artists have with the world, inspiring us to see things in new ways.