Art Forms in Nature 67 1928

Karl Blossfeldt took this photograph, “Art Forms in Nature 67”, with what looks like a real sense of curiosity, bordering on obsession. There’s something about the way he renders the natural forms – almost metallic, and yet also really delicate. The stark black and white photography emphasizes the textures – look at the grainy details, the way the light catches the edges of each tiny leaf. It's almost sculptural; he's making these plants look like objects, but also revealing their intricate designs. I’m drawn to the central flower, with its star-like, symmetrical arrangement of petals, and those stick like stamens pointing outwards – it's like a little botanical explosion. It reminds me of how art, like nature, is constantly experimenting, finding new forms and patterns. Artists like Georgia O'Keefe also captured similar aspects of organic forms, but Blossfeldt is more about the raw, unadorned beauty of his subjects. He shows that even in something as small as a plant, there's a whole universe of art to discover.