Blaschka (HD-Version): Crystal Creatures of the Sea

By Heidi Koch and Hans-Jürgen Koch

They are transparent artworks of unique fragile beauty and withal highest scientific precision: the filigree glass models from astonishing sea creatures - created over 100 years ago by glass blowers Rudolf and Leopold Blaschka in Dresden, Germany. The prizewinning photographers Heidi and Hans-Jürgen Koch took brilliant close shots of the last few retained objects.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dölling u. Galitz
• Release date: Sep 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9783862180431

Book preview

Cover.jpg

Heidi and Hans-Jürgen Koch

Blaschka

Crystal

Creatures

Of The Sea

Dölling and Galitz eBook

signet%20d%2bg%20photo%20ganz%20klein.tif

Preface

It is the year 1863, the age of outstanding zoological discoveries.

The established materials for three-dimensional models for the visualisation of biological research results are wax, papier mâché, wood, plaster – all of which are unsuitable for fragile life forms such as jellyfish, sea anemones, polyps, the so-called marine invertebrates. Leopold Blaschka opts for a complicated material, delicate, brittle and extremely complex to work with: glass!

Until 1890 Blaschka, together with his son Rudolf, creates perfect glass models that find their way into scientific institutions worldwide. The models continue to amaze scientists until today: they bear up to scientific scrutiny down to the very last detail and are above all transparent pieces of art of unique fragile beauty – the perfect amalgamation of art and science.

The renowned photographers Heidi and Hans-Jürgen Koch have congenially transformed the Blaschkas’ art into pictures.

Their photos preserve the mysterious aura of both the glass models and