The other day I spotted a very bizarre looking plant in the garden outside of my studio, and I simply had to find out what kind it is. I’m a bit of a horticultural dunce, so I didn’t really know where to start, but after 15 minutes of trying out a few strange keyword searches, browsing Wikipedia and several garden blogs, and scanning dozens of images, I had found the answer to my question and discovered one of the coolest collection of photographs ever, created by artist Diana Scherer.
Diana grew these plants over a period of six months within the tight confines of variously shaped vessels, checking on them periodically to ensure the roots were developing properly. In the end, she removed the vase to reveal its shadow, formed by the intricate lace-like web of roots. In our technologically advanced age, I love that these surreal forms were created using only the influences of time, nature, and the human hand. Diana’s manipulated plants expose something ordinarily hidden from view in such a strange and beautiful way, and although the final work is a photograph, I like to imagine what it’s like to be in the presence of these strange things, which are part science experiment, part sculpture. You can see many more works from her Nurture Studies and Flower Field series here. Oh, and that mysterious plant in the garden? It’s a euphorbia.
{All images by Diana Scherer}
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That’s a beautiful and such a simple way to create art. And the backgrounds she’s picked to photograph these flowers against are perfect. Subtle yet striking.
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