Botanicals

Reviewing submissions for Botanical: Flora of the World evoked a sense of curiosity, mystery, inspiration and joy. It became immediately clear that this show was about diversity—both in the plant world and in terms of photographic styles and processes. Plants and trees were photographed in the wild, in the garden, in the home and in the studio. Photographs were made with and without cameras; digitally and with film; in color and black and white; using innovative contemporary, historic and alternative processes; and integrating intentional camera movement, multiple exposures and mixed media.

Alys Walker Tinson’s Inner Circle is seductive, pulling us into the mesmerizing inner world of an anemone—it’s crown of stamens surrounding a gathering of tightly packed pistils. The subtle light, camera angle, softy focused petals and shimmering flowerhead reveal the beauty and ingenuity of nature’s design. Pamela Moore’s As Darkness Fell transports us into a dreamscape—an imagined world of flowers and foliage. And Joseph Gattulli’s wet cyanotype photogram delights with a unique range of colors, shapes and textures.

In addition to creative vision and technical excellence, I found that I was drawn to images that conveyed the personality of plants—their unique characteristics, their determination to survive in unlikely places or, perhaps, a sense of gesture or expression. Thanks to all who submitted their photographs for review and to Decagon Gallery for championing the work of photographers.