Emulation: Fontcuberta

These photographs attempt to emulate Joan Fontcuberta’s “Herbarium” and “Historia Artificial” works (1982-85). Fontcuberta is interested in testing our assumptions of photography as an objective medium that captures the world as it is. With humor and trickery he creates a fantastic world of fictional specimens that make us question what we see, know, and believe. Fontcuberta draws strongly from his German predecessor Carlo Blossfeldt, highlighting the beauty of the natural word, while using the formal setting to emphasizing the “objectiveness” and scientific aspects of the photography.
I closely followed Fontcuberta’s example of attempting to create believable work from the construction of the specimens to the destruction of the prints to make them appear truly documented in another time. All specimens are hybrids of two or more elements, mostly plant based. Photographs were taken in open shade in front of white paper and prints were toned with coffee.