New work is up at ArtStart in downtown Rhinelander. It’s the first show since the gallery has built a glass wall for the front gallery. That newly finished room now features black-and white images from German photographer Karl Blossfeldt. President of the Board of Directors Ken Juon says Blossfeldt invented his own camera in order to take close-up pictures of natural forms.
“One of the first photographers to actually concentrate on botanical forms for mockettes for – not so much furniture but wrought iron details on buildings. That was his main interest but they turned out to be really beautiful, stunning photographs.”
Working around the turn of the 20th century, Juon says Blossfelt was creating the stark images not necessarily as works of art, but rather as inspiration for industrial forms.
“Some of these, especially the ferns and some of the others that are here – you’ll recognize a lot of the detailing that ended in architectural detail, both in stone and in iron.”
There are two other exhibits also up at Art Start. One is a series of hand-colored lithographs of botanical images; the other consists of paintings of Native American chiefs from the mid nineteenth century. The entire show will be up until November 9th.
