Accession Number
2012/2.14.6

Title
Blue-Eyed Grass

Artist(s)
Jeannette Klute

Object Creation Date
1950 - 1954

Medium & Support
dye transfer print on paper

Dimensions
10 in x 7 1/4 in (25.4 cm x 18.42 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James Agah, Class of 1989 (BBA)

Subject matter
This color photograph of stems of blue-eyed grass is an original dye transfer print by the artist. Klute was a pioneer of color photography and helped develop the Eastman Kodak Dye Transfer process. She left detailed notes on the conditions under which each photograph in the portfolio was taken. This particular image was taken on June 23 with a Graflex Series D (4 x 5) on Ektachrome film.

This image was one of 50 included in the 1954 publication of the portfolio Woodland Portraits (Plate 28). These photographs were taken over a three to four year period in Rockport and Cape Ann, Massachusetts, and Bristol, New York. The series was taken without any manipulation and minimal environmental impact, with natural light and depth of field being the primary subjects of the portfolio. Klute draws attention to often overlooked subjects, focusing in on a single plant or animal and abstracting its surroundings. 

Physical Description
This photograph with shallow depth of field focuses on the narrow, grassy stems and small blue flowers of the perennial plant. In the blurred background, patches of bright yellow, subdued mauves and purples, and bright greens reveal that there is a meadow of flowers and grasses beyond.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
available light photography
flora (plants)
flowers (plant components)
grasses (plants)
woodlands (plant communities)