To Dulwich today, to see the Unearthed: Photography's Roots show - about the place of plants in the history of photography - some wonderful Anna Atkins and Fox Talbot; a stunning 1855 albumen print by a Manchester photographer, James Mudd, of orchids; a stereocard by John Moffat (c.1862) of a "Phantom Bouquet" in a belljar - plants were stripped using chlorate of soda and then bleached with lime and turned into memorial ornaments, which sounds fun to do, though probably not with cats around; some very early Japanese color photography by Kazumasa Ogawa; lots of Karl Blossfeldt images looking like wrought iron; Weston; Cunningham ... and then most recently, a great piece by Richard Learoyd, who makes huge images (in this case of poppies in various stage of decay) using a camera obscura process; and then - below - this Mat Collishaw, Auto-Immolation (2010), of flowers burning themselves up ... I'm glad I took notes: I'm so tired that I could well have walked away and thought it wasn't especially memorable but I now, rather shockingly, realize that it was - although as much as anything indicated that photography has long, long had a tendency to turn plants and vegetables into abstraction.
And then I went for a long walk in Dulwich Park, where there was a stunning wildflower meadow - maybe my Sunflower Project will look like this? - and spent a long time traveling under lowering grey skies. Oh, and saw a post box with a knitted hat.
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