Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Archive: Art From Nature

1. Dried chestnut leaf. 2. Bracket mushrooms. 3. Bouquet of cinnamon seeds. 4. Partly dried leaf. 5. Dried banksia leaf.

6. Long dried pods. 7 & 8. Artichoke hearts. 9. Skeleton leaf.

1. A row of dried lotus flowers opened to display their seeds. 2. Dried lotus leaf. 3. Bracket mushroom. 4. Exotic seed. 5. Sticks of wood charcoal. 6. Bouquet of lotus flowers. 7. Branches of lancelot, with thorns stripped 8. Estrella cloves. 9. Small sponges. 10. Dried leaf.

12. Dried coconut leaf. 13. Cinnamon bark. 14. Dried gourd. 15. Mushrooms.

A beautifully photographed feature on humble dried pods, leaves and bark, delicately displayed in shadow boxes like works of art. Excuse my rough translations of what these are exactly -- my French isn't the best. Wonky descriptions aside, I hope that you'll find these as lovely and inspiring as I do. (from a mid-90s edition of Maison Marie Claire, styled by Domenica More Gordon, photos by Simon Wheeler)

Joseph Cornell

A pioneer of assemblage who was strongly influenced by Surrealism, Joseph Cornell (1903 - 1972) is best known for his art works created from found objects. Wikipedia: "These are simple boxes, usually glass-fronted, in which he arranged surprising collections of photographs or Victorian bric-à-brac, in a way that combines the formal austerity of Constructivism with the lively fantasy of Surrealism. Many of his boxes, such as the famous Medici Slot Machine boxes, are interactive and are meant to be handled." More on Cornell's life and work here. Photos of his work here and a slide show here. The granddaddy of shadow boxes.
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