What techniques did Karl Blossfeldt use?
Blossfeldt had no formal training as a photographer and used homemade cameras that he outfitted with lenses capable of magnifying his subjects up to 30 times their natural size. The use of magnification resulted in images of extreme detail and clarity.
What did Karl Blossfeldt photograph?
plants
German, 1865–1932 Karl Blossfeldt is best known for his precise photographs of plants; however, he began his career as a sculptor, completing apprenticeships at the ironworks and foundry in Mägdesprung and the Kunstgewerbeschule (Institute of the royal arts museum) in Berlin from 1884 to 1890.
What is Karl Blossfeldt most famous picture?
plants and living things
Karl Blossfeldt (June 13, 1865 – December 9, 1932) was a German photographer and sculptor. He is best known for his close-up photographs of plants and living things, published in 1929 as Urformen der Kunst.
Why are Karl Blossfeldt photos black and white?
In 1899, after teaching himself photography, he created a series of homemade cameras that he used to photograph plants collected on his travels. These majestic plant portraits, shot in black and white, were used as aids to teach the students about the beauty of nature seen through his intimate view of flora.
What is Karl Blossfeldt best known for?
Karl Blossfeldt (June 13, 1866 – December 9, 1932) was a German photographer, sculptor, teacher, and artist who worked in Berlin, Germany. He is best known for his close-up photographs of plants and living things, published in 1929 as Urformen der Kunst.
What is Blossfeldt’s photography style?
Blossfeldt developed a series of home-made cameras that allowed him to photograph plant surfaces in unprecedented, magnified detail. This reflected his enduring interest in the repetitive patterns found in nature’s textures and forms.
Why did Wilhelm Blossfeldt take pictures of plants?
Blossfeldt believed that in nature one finds the foundation of all forms and thus he photographed plants for over thirty years, publishing a book of photographs called Urformen der Kunst (Fundamental Forms of Art) in 1928 that was an immediate success.
Where are Blossfeldt’s works held?
Today, Blossfeldt’s works are held in the collections of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., among others.