Karl Blossfeldt takes plant photographs with compelling precision. Each picture is framed carefully to reveal the true essence of each plant. The photograph is like a technical drawing of a plant or flower with a high level of detail.

Blossfeldt’s plantstudie image from 1928 could be a teaching aid for young architects, artists, or sculptors. The first vignette with the bud is sitting against the hue of grays as light travels within the frame. Its white petals are carefully concealed with the dark shades of the sepal protection. The second frame is a flower blooming at its peak as it now casts a prominent shadow on the background. The last frame looks like a wilted flower shrinking back as it ages. All three vignettes are arranged in a cascading order and clearly signify aging.

The aging of a building or a city is seldom thought of in a design process. Yet throughout history, we have seen how a city or a building can sprout from the ground just like the bud from Blossfeldt’s first vignette. The designer may design the structure in various styles, it is ultimately, the people living in this city that help the city grow, age, and flourish. It grows to reach its full potential like the blooming flower in the second vignette. In the end, the city continues to grow old, and the designer goes back to his drawing board to find a new solution to the city that is now old and in ruins.

Article written as a part of Proseminar Fall 2021 Pratt MSUD

Karl Blossfeldt Image analysis