Karl Blossfeldt

[4] In 1881, Blossfeldt began an apprenticeship, when he was 16 years old, training as an iron caster at the Art Ironworks and Foundry in Mägdesprung Germany.

[1][4] After spending three years as an apprentice, Blossfeldt transitioned to studying illustration at Kunstgewerbemuseum's education department in Berlin.

[5] He traveled, along with other assistants, around Europe and North Africa photographing botanical specimens for Moritz Meurer to use as reference photos for his artwork.

[11][12] It wasn't until Blossfeldt was in his 60s that his photographs began to receive recognition for their artistic value, as opposed to their functionality as references.

[14] Blossfeldt's focused and magnified photos were in stark contrast to the purposefully blurry images most photographers were producing at the time.

[13][15] Blossfeldt's emphasis on geometric patterns in nature can be linked back to the beginning of his career, and formal training, as a sculptor.

[7] Nierendorf also helped to produce the first edition of Blossdeldt's monograph Urformen der Kunst (Art forms in nature), in 1929.

[4] The publication of his working collages in 2001 threw into question the legitimacy of his association with New Objectivity, as his methods were shown to differ from those of other artists in the movement.

[17] With this said, Karl Blossfeldt continues to be regarded as a pioneer of close-up photography who received great praise from many notable figures in the art world.

[12][16] Karl Blossfeldt is regarded as a pioneer of close-up photography who received great praise from many notable figures in the art world.