Inspired after viewing the floral paintings of
Georgia OKeefe, Carol Henry worked well over a decade to
develop a unique photographic technique that would allow her to
explore the internal spirit and essence of flowers. As a child,
she says her fascination with organic design was mesmerizing.
It was this passion that fueled her continued exploration while
pursuing studies towards her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Confined in the college darkroom one afternoon, due to a howling
blizzard, she discovered a way to reproduce the warmth and beauty
of her subject by projecting light through the cells of the flower
directly onto archival Cibachrome paper. What appeared was complete
purity, without distortion or grain; just the simple radiant delicacy
of the flower itself. Without using either camera or film Henry
had developed a truly extraordinary technique that would shape
the rest of her three decade photographic career. After the Cibachrome paper required for her darkroom process was discontinued by Ilford in 2012, Henry was unable to continue with the creation of this remarkable floral series.
Because no negative is involved in her photographic process and
the flowers can withstand only a single exposure, each 20x24 image
is one-of-a-kind. All those who own a Carol Henry print appreciate
that they retain the only image of a plant that once grew and
flowers that blossomed.
"Working with a photographic process of her very own, Carol Henry transforms the ephemeral splendor of live flowers into the permanent beauty of her photographic compositions. In the great tradition of silver mirror daguerreotypes, each of Carol's photographs is a unique visual, printed using the most luminous and stable color material of the Pre-Digital Photography Era."
Dusan Stulik - Getty Conservation Institute.