Karl BLOSSFELDT was born in 1865. He studied sculpture at the Kunstgewerbemuseums in Berlin.
Following that, he was appointed to a professorship in the Department of Sculpture at the Kunstgewerbemuseums where he used his own photos of enlarged plants as the basis of class materials to teach sculpture.
He was a sculptor, not a professional photographer. His photos of plants were not altered or modified, they were only magnified. The photos of plants show us the beauty of form that is common to both art and nature.
Karl BLOSSFELDT published his first photo collection "Urformen der Kunst (Archetypes of Art)" in 1928 and also issued "Wundergarten der Natur (Magical Garden of Nature)" in 1932. Both books garnered attention in many countries. Art critic Karl NIERENDORF remarks in the introduction of "Urformen der Kunst (Archetypes of Art)" in 1929; "Karl BLOSSFELDT's photos clearly show the creative impulse that art and nature share. They show us that the beautiful forms that men create in all their wonderful art have roots in the plant world".
Also his photo collections drew keen attention at the Bauhaus as a well-known episode had Nina KANDINSKY—wife of Wassily KANDINSKY—sending BLOSSFELDT's photo collection to Paul KLEE for his 50th birthday.
Although Karl BLOSSFELDT passed away at the age of 67, the remarkable organic forms in his work continue to influence surrealists in France.
Still highly-esteemed, Karl BLOSSFELDT’s photographs have recently been experiencing a revival in popularity, and exhibitions were held in Tokyo in 1998. His photos show us that there is a fantastic world at our fingertips full of things we have never seen before.
Following that, he was appointed to a professorship in the Department of Sculpture at the Kunstgewerbemuseums where he used his own photos of enlarged plants as the basis of class materials to teach sculpture.
He was a sculptor, not a professional photographer. His photos of plants were not altered or modified, they were only magnified. The photos of plants show us the beauty of form that is common to both art and nature.
Karl BLOSSFELDT published his first photo collection "Urformen der Kunst (Archetypes of Art)" in 1928 and also issued "Wundergarten der Natur (Magical Garden of Nature)" in 1932. Both books garnered attention in many countries. Art critic Karl NIERENDORF remarks in the introduction of "Urformen der Kunst (Archetypes of Art)" in 1929; "Karl BLOSSFELDT's photos clearly show the creative impulse that art and nature share. They show us that the beautiful forms that men create in all their wonderful art have roots in the plant world".
Also his photo collections drew keen attention at the Bauhaus as a well-known episode had Nina KANDINSKY—wife of Wassily KANDINSKY—sending BLOSSFELDT's photo collection to Paul KLEE for his 50th birthday.
Although Karl BLOSSFELDT passed away at the age of 67, the remarkable organic forms in his work continue to influence surrealists in France.
Still highly-esteemed, Karl BLOSSFELDT’s photographs have recently been experiencing a revival in popularity, and exhibitions were held in Tokyo in 1998. His photos show us that there is a fantastic world at our fingertips full of things we have never seen before.