Art Forms in Nature 109 1928

Karl Blossfeldt made these photogravures, including Art Forms in Nature 109, to reveal the hidden architecture within plants. His approach is all about close observation. It's a bit like slow looking at a painting, but here we have the supposed objectivity of photography thrown into the mix, though I reckon there is artistry at work here too! Look closely, and you will see the textural quality of the paper in the print, it gives a velvety feel to the grey tones. The forms are stark and almost graphic, like drawings, but the details are so intricate. In the central panel, the curves of the flower petals remind me of Art Nouveau design. But more than anything I am drawn to the way the individual parts of the plant look almost mechanical, and this is perhaps what ties the triptych together. Blossfeldt’s work feels like a cousin to that of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who photographed industrial structures with a similar eye for formal composition. Ultimately these images remind us of the beauty, complexity, and mystery that exists all around us.