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| Imogen Cunningham: Flora | 
| Creators: Richard Lorenz, Imogen Cunningham
Publisher: Bulfinch
Category: Book
Buy Used: $31.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 1136045
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 11.9 x 9.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 0821227319
Dewey Decimal Number: 770
EAN: 9780821227312
ASIN: 0821227319
Publication Date: May 1, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Thank you for looking at Bookscorner1. May have shelf wear and remainder mark. S Room
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Product Description
As one of the greatest women photographers of the century, Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) photographed nature with a celebratory spirit while retaining a firm dedication to photographic technique. Her childhood fascination with the beauty and complexities of nature led her to photograph all kinds of plant life, from simple flower arrangements to elaborate compositions of exotic ferns and lilies. This collection of black-and-white botanical images spans 55 years of work and development. The images are accompanied by a biocritical essay by Richard Lorenz, noted photography curator and writer, placing Cunningham's work in the context of her contemporaries and colleagues: Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Johan Hagemeyer and many other premiere photographers of the botanical world. To complete the celebration of the plant world, the book includes technical notes on illustrated plant species, a chronology and a selected bibliography.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Incredible photographer! Inferior Printing!! January 9, 2006
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Out of all of the members of the famous Group f/64, Imogen Cunningham created the greatest body of floral still life work. This beautiful collection of images has been totally undermined by a horrible press run. It's a surprise that Bulfinch would even put their name on this book. Aperture should have probably printed it. Granted, the book has a gorgeous design, and the body of work chosen for the book is definitely of her greatest masterpieces. But, when all is said and done, the print is solely the photographer's art, and poor reproductions of a photograph, especially a "Group f/64" style photograph, renders the art ineffective.
Great Choices of Subjects Marred by Poor Printing April 23, 2001
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Imogen Cunningham is one of my favorite photographers. So I was very disappointed when I saw the reproduction quality of the 92 duotone plates, 59 black-and-white photographs, and 8 color images. The ink is very heavy and dark on these succulent morsels, and almost all the images look like they are of vegetation from the vicinity of Mount St. Helens just after the eruption. The book contains Ms. Cunningham's famous image of her husband undressed, so if such things offend you, skip over that page. The image is very small, so you'll hardly notice it unless you are looking hard for it. The essay by Richard Lorenz is a fine one. It makes up for some of the reproduction problems. He captures the ambiguity of her work nicely in pointing out that the "paradox of expansion via reduction becomes vivid when one looks at the visual aspects of nature." This is the familiar fractal observation. Each level of detail is echoed in the next larger and smaller level of scale. Stylistically, she "empowered her images by isolating her vegetation." What would be lost in a mass is curiously fresh and clear in solitary study. As a result, "negative space is as critical to the composition as the design elements." In fact, she "paralleled the objectivity of the Germans in her work" more so than any other Western photographer. Like Georgia O'Keeffe, she realized and portrays the erotic expressions in vegetation. Here are my favorite images from the book (as reproduced here): At Point Lobos, 1921 (like Weston); Thorn Apple, about 1921; Tree at Donner Pass, 1925 (like Weston); Calla, about 1925 (like an O'Keeffe); Colletta Cruciata 7, 1929; Flowering Cactus, about 1930; Calla with Leaf, about 1930; Blossom of Protea, 1935; Fuscha, 1940; Fireworks Plant, 1965; Araujia, 1953; Hand and Leaf of Voodoo Lily. The notes to each image contain horiticultural information. Ms. Cunningham was "skeptical of physical beauty." Where does nature agree with her? Where can you gain by retaining skepticism, even as you enjoy beauty? Don't give up on Ms. Cunningham's work. Just go look at it elsewhere!
 Imogen's Imagination Floweth Over Again June 19, 2000
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
The pictures are exquisite, her mind was constantly creating, and of course, her lens was always capturing... Imogen Cunningham has done it again with another magnificent collection of her images of life. A must-have for any Cunningham collector...
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Wildlife, nature and the Environment
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