Blossfeldt Study Visit
This is a post from the weareoca.com archive. Information contained within it may now be out of date.
With apologies for the short notice, but the feedback on this exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery is so good that we didn’t feel we could let it pass without a visit.
Karl Blossfeldt trained as a sculptor before turning to photography. His work is both objective – natural forms against plain backgrounds – and expressive. This is what the Whitechapel has to say about it:
Working at the junction of Art Nouveau and Modernism, Blossfeldt developed a series of homemade cameras that allowed him to photograph plant surfaces in unprecedented magnified detail. Working as a tutor in Berlin from the late nineteenth century until his death, Blossfeldt’s works were primarily used as teaching tools and were brought to public attention in 1928 by his first publication Urformen der Kunst (Art Forms in Nature). Swiftly regarded as a seminal book on photography, Blossfeldt’s factual yet finely detailed imagery was praised by Walter Benjamin, adopted by the Surrealists and mass produced in magazines and books.
Tutors Robert Enoch and Robert Bloomfield will be leading a study visit to the exhibition at 11am on Saturday 11 May and students who have attended one of their study visits before will know they will be in for a stimulating time. Of primary interest to photographers, we think other students might also get something out of considering this work. Places are free to OCA students. Please email enquiries@oca-uk.com
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One of my earliest inspirations were from this man. I will try to get to London for this.
I went to this exhibition last weekend and it was really good. Everything in the gallery was interesting – loved the tree/bark display.
I have had a book of the photographs for many years – always found them inspirational – wish I could get to the exhibition
Just been to the Whitechapel for a quick preview. If you’re interested in Weimar period photography and the beginnings of Neue Sachlichkeit this is absolutely unmissable. And if you’re not particularly interested in the period its still completely unmissable! A couple of research pointers before the visit: Walter Benjamin’s Short History of Photography is a key text of the period – if you haven’t yet read it now’s a good time (and its short). There’s a copy with illustrations at http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic235120.files/BenjaminPhotography.pdf
For something rather different the Georges Bataille text The Language of Flowers which is on display in the galleries is here – http://superbunker.com/about/subterranean/bataille-flowers/. Looking forward to Saturday!
Thanks for these links Rob; the visit looks promising!
Have been reading a small book well illustrated with Blossfeldt photos …
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/3829603045/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks Amano. They had sold out of all Blossfeldt books at the gallery and were trying to get some more from Germany! They should have restocked by Saturday including Alphabet of Plants to have a leaf through before buying.. ahem..cheaper elsewhere.
MMmmmnn … now where could that be? I am thinking South American jungle … to be honest, although the book I mentioned has well reproduced photographs, the introduction translation from the German is not easy to comprehend … needs a reread I guess!
Thanks to all for coming – hope you found the work and discussion afterwards as inspiring as I did – heraldic, Germanic, erotic, ahistoric (or maybe historic), microscopically aesthetic, geographically specific, alien and sculptural and clinical but not sensual and transparently not cynical, Steiner, Goethe and Sander (but not Weston) pre-Adams, post Victorian … what makes a Blossfeldt a Blossfeldt? Apologies to all that i’ve missed.
Great tour yesterday at the Whitechapel Gallery. Thanks so much to Rob Bloomfield and Robert Enoch for their thought-provoking and enthusiastic guidance, and to all the students who participated. It was most enjoyable and I learned a lot. For anyone still unsure about attending one of these events: I cannot recommend it highly enough – it will really bring your studies to life and you’ll meet some lovely people, without being under any pressure to actively contribute.
Here is my write-up for anyone interested:
http://helendigitalfilm.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/karl-blossfeldt-whitechapel-gallery.html
All comments welcome.
Its all in Helen’s post – thanks Helen.
It was a wonderful visit – thanks to everyone who made it so! Here is a link I was asked to post …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/aug/06/natures-frame-photography
it is about our interest in nature photography.
Really enjoyed the visit. I’ve not done a write-up yet, but have tried some plant photographs.
Thanks to Robert and Rob for a great event and leading a very stimulating and interrogative debate afterwards. I’ve made my contribution to the visit here if anyone is at all interested.
http://lerpysphotographylogs.wordpress.com/karl-blossfeldt-whitechapel-gallery/
Thanks Eddy, for the thoughtful piece. Its true we’re influenced by our own context and we’ll never totally understand the context of another period however much research we do.. unless there’s such a thing as ‘insight’?
Finally, I have finished my blog about the visit ..
http://amanostudy.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/karl-blossfeldt-an-early-approach-to-nature-photography/
Quite exhaustive!
not as easy as it looks..
http://digphopra.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/blossfeldt-fern-cl6a0830.jpg