plants in black and white
In a world where color photographs are easy to come by it can be refreshing to stand back and look at images where the color has been simplified down to tones of black, white and gray.
Edwin Hale Lincoln (1848–1938) compiled his massive series, Wildflowers of New England, Photographed from Nature, in the early part of the 20th century. The photos are warm-toned platinum prints where the plants form decorative patterns. You can tell that the photographer was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement, and many of the photos could serve as templates for carved decorations on a piece of furniture.
Left: Edwin Hale Lincoln. Convolvulus Septium, Hedge Bindweed, Morning-Glory, plate 124 from Wildflowers of New England, Photographed from Nature, Volume V, 1904. [ photo from the de Young Museum, which had an exhibition on Lincoln last year ]
Left: Edwin Hale Lincoln. Acorus Calamus, Flag-Root, Sweet Flag, Calamus-Root, 1914. [ image from Alan Klotz Gallery, which will be featuring Lincoln’s work in a show that runs from May 7th to July 2nd ]
Different from Lincoln’s work are the later photographs of Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932). His 1928 Urformen der Kunst, published in the 1929 English edition, Art Forms in Nature, features 120 beautifully grainy photogravures. (Soulcatcher Studio has the entire volume online.) Blossfeldt followed up the book with a second volume in 1932.
Blossfeldt, like Lincoln, came out of an arts and crafts orientation, in his case, that of ornamental metalwork. But Blossfeldt moved in closer to his plants, often showing them in extreme magnification. He didn’t claim to be a scientist, and instead was looking at nature for the ultimate inspiration for human art.
(BTW, If you happen upon reruns of the TV show Will and Grace, take a look at Will’s apartment, and you’ll see several framed Blossfeldts prints on the set.)
Karl Blossfeldt. Sanguisorba, swallowwort, from Urformen der Kunst, 1928. [ image from the Wikimedia Commons ]
Karl Blossfeldt. Monkshood, from Urformen der Kunst, 1928. [ image from the Wikimedia Commons ]
But that’s barely scratching the surface. Check out Edward Weston’s stunning, almost lewd Cabbage Leaf. Or Imogen Cunningham’s Magnolia. Or one of Robert Mapplethorpe’s calla lilies.
Or next time you go out into your garden to photograph a plant, put your camera in black in white mode, and notice the things you start to pay attention to once the color isn’t there as a distraction…
May 10 2009 07:35 am | Categories: art • photography | Tags: Edwin Hale Lincoln • Karl BLossfeldt
Steve on 10 May 2009 at 10:16 am #
James, some of those look positively metallic. Some of the world’s best iron work! It can be stunning how something sparely-done can be so eloquent.
Pomona Belvedere on 10 May 2009 at 11:16 am #
I’m a huge fan of b&w plant photos (I’ve also been experimenting with sepia, which gives a different mood and texture). For years I had a postcard of that Blossfeldt monkshood, I had lost it so thanks for identifying the artist.
I agree, color is wonderful, but it can sometimes distract from texture, mood, light and shadow.
Town Mouse on 10 May 2009 at 7:16 pm #
Mmmm. A though provoking post, for me. I love colors. I wear colors (none of this jeans and a white T-shirt, or all black, for me). I have colors in my house. I love colors in my garden. But who knows, if I get bored with the color photos, maybe I’ll try the black & white.…
tina on 10 May 2009 at 8:26 pm #
Well you definitely get a different perspective on the flowers don’t you? I like that first one because of the play of light on the white flowers.
lostlandscape on 11 May 2009 at 6:04 pm #
Steve, it’s hard to improve on nature, isn’t it?
Pomona, I think the monkshood is sun a fun picture. It looks so human-like and vulnerable.
Town Mouse, I love color, too. But in a lot of photographic circles they say that if you learn to make a good photo in black and white, it’s a breeze to do it in color. It’s not entirely true, but it does make you look at other things in the picture frame other than the seductive color.
Tina, I agree. The whites are spectacular in that first photo. They’re so crisp and brilliant.
John on 28 May 2009 at 10:49 pm #
One contemporary b&w photographer who’s been getting some acclaim lately for her “old school” images is Toiya Black; she has one series of succulents and another of bold-foliage species such as calla lilies, at http://www.modernbook.com/toiyablack.htm