Photography using a traditional Still Life approach
Imogen Cunningham
"To worship beauty for it's own sake is narrow, and one surely cannot derive from it that esthetic pleasure which comes from finding beauty in the commonest things."
Imogen Cunningham’s botanical fascination grew in the 1920s where a majority of her work showed this. This then began to develop into a great interest in the form and texture of plants and flowers. She photographed these using soft lighting to create texture and shadow.
Looking at her work ‘Black Lily’ she captures just segments of the flower using quite dramatic lighting. By doing this she shows of the texture and shape of the object. This then allows the flower to have a totally different look. It no longer looks lifeless, but has character and diminution. I believe it brings a human element to the image.
If also looking at her work ‘Triangles’, the comparison between the two is rather similar. The lily’s in the image ‘Black Lily’ almost resemble the body in ‘Triangles’. The shape of the two objects hold the same feel, even though the lighting is much harsher on the flower.
Could this have been what Cunningham wanted? Were her pictures of flowers those that were to resemble the nude body?
Flowers hold such a fragile look that it would be fair to say that this could be true. The way they form their own body that grows and ages gives them a life like qualities.
(A collection of her work can be found on the site listed above)
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