Accession Number
2012/2.14.7

Title
Skunk-cabbage

Artist(s)
Jeannette Klute

Object Creation Date
1950 - 1954

Medium & Support
dye transfer print on paper

Dimensions
12 1/2 in x 9 1/2 in (31.75 cm x 24.13 cm)

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

Subject matter
This color photograph of two skunk cabbage sprouts 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 March 11 with an Auto Graflex (4 x 5) on Ektachrome film.

This image was one of 50 reproductions included in the 1954 publication of the portfolio Woodland Portraits (Plate 1). 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 is a photograph of a sprout of skunk cabbage. Its maroon flowers spring up from a pool of water, a bed of moss, and melting snow. Dead marsh grasses are visible in the background.

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)
marshes
moss (plant)
nature photography
snow (precipitation)
woodlands (plant communities)