Massachusetts, 2012

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand 
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower 
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand 
And Eternity in an hour”                    

Auguries of Innocence--William Blake

I have made thousands of close-up photographs of flowers over the years. I am hypnotized by the sinuous lines, sensuous tones, synesthetic textures, lush colors. The shallow depth of field at such acute proximity causes rapid softening; some suggestion of great mystery, just out of reach. The subject becomes an abstract for something “other.”

“Remembering speechlessly we seek the great forgotten language, the lost lane-end into heaven, a stone, a leaf, an unfound door.” Look Homeward, Angel–Thomas Wolfe

I have been accused of eroticizing these subjects, to which I have several replies:
1) So what?
2) Georgia O’Keefe did it, so that’s pretty good company.
3) These are the reproductive parts of the plant, so it’s just documentation.
4) And, most importantly, what someone “sees” in a photograph says more about the viewer than it does about the photograph or photographer.

For more of Bill’s photographs, go to https://www.billdurrence.com/index