I continue to try to get to as many photography exhibitions as possible that come within easy reach, regardless of their relevance to the current module that I am working on, and this is the latest, a Hayward Touring exhibition that has come to our local arts centre in Hexham.

I had not heard of Blossfeld before this exhibition and I have not so far found any reference to him in any of the books relating to photography in my personal library though he does at least merit a brief mention in a footnote in Gamwell (2002) on the connections between art and science (at page 312). (This is itself an absolutely fascinating book in its own right that even though not immediately relevant to the current module is nevertheless worth reading to offer a different way of looking at ‘things’ which is of course what we are supposed to do as photographers.)

In many ways I find this quite remarkable given the striking nature of his work – early macro shots of plant forms made during the early years of the twentieth century, probably before anyone had even heard of macro photography – and the regard that he was evidently held in at the time. Walter Benjamin, for example, rated him alongside Moholy-Nagy (about whom I shall write something soon), August Sander and Eugene Atget – stellar company in those early days. Perhaps not surprisingly given the almost abstract, other-worldly, alien appearance of some of his images, he proved to be something of a darling, as was Atget, of the French Surrealists, particularly Malraux.

Here are just a couple of examples from this particular set:

White Briony, looking like an abstract wire sculpture.

Himalayan Balsam, looking like carved furniture.

There are others that look like carved wooden panels by the likes of Grindling-Gibbons, and in some he arranged multiple examples of his chosen specimens to create repeating patterns reminiscent of fabric or wallpaper.

Amazing stuff, years ahead of its time technically and artistically.

Gamwell, L, (2002). Exploring the Invisible: Art, Science, and the Spiritual. Princeton: Princeton University Press

https://southbankcentre.co.uk/about/touring-programme/hayward-touring/future/karl-blossfeldt-art-forms-nature

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