Karl Blossfeldt. The Complete Published Work

by Hans Christian Adam

Overview

German photography pioneer Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932) photographed plants so beautifully, and with such originality, that his work transcends the medium itself. Over more than 30 years, he took thousands of photographs, revealing a formally rigorous talent whose precision and dedication bridge the 19th- and 20th-century worlds of image-making and bring a distinctly sculptural aspect to a firmly two-dimensional art form. Beautifully but starkly composed against plain cardboard backgrounds, Blossfeldt’s images, relying on a northern light for their sense of volume, reveal nothing of the man but everything of themselves. They are still lifes, piercingly final statements on their subject, and have endured owing to their aesthetics and the ongoing fascination of students and photographers. Like their maker, they are quietly and lastingly effective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783836550727
Publisher:	Taschen America, LLC
Publication date:	01/15/2014
Series:	Bibliotheca Universalis
Edition description:	Multilingual Edition
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Hans Christian Adam studied psychology, art history and communication in Göttingen and Vienna. As a specialist in historical images, he has published numerous articles and books, including titles on travel and war photography. He is the author of TASCHEN’s Edward Sheriff Curtis: The North American Indian, Karl Blossfeldt, and Eugène Atget: Paris.

Editorial Reviews

It would be only a slight exaggeration to say that photographers in the know have been waiting for this book.

The New York Times

It would be only a slight exaggeration to say that photographers in the know have been waiting for this book.

New York The New York Times