Steffen Dam
Danish, born 1961Secret Life of Plants, 2001
Not on view
Blown, cut and polished glass, steel frame
Dimensions31 1/4 × 18 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (79.4 × 47 × 3.8 cm)
Courtesy of the Isabel Foundation Photo credit: Douglas Schaible Photography, L2017.28
From a distance this work looks a collection of real plants flattened between panes of glass like laboratory specimens. Upon closer inspection you see that these plants are not specimens that exist in our world but are made of colored glass. Inspired by the Renaissance fascination with collecting and cataloguing natural elements, Steffen Dam artist creates his own fantastical collection of plants. His pseudo-specimens intend to represent the world as he views it.
