The society’s stereotype is that women love flowers. I suppose we do, but I doubt we all love fresh flowers. Personally, I am not a fan of living flowers. They stress me out, in the sense that I feel responsible for their inevitable death. I’m definitely not the best caregiver either, so when I see a bouquet, I just can’t help but see it’s shredded state in my mind.
I suppose this is also why I love dried flowers. They are fragile just like living ones, but they are well preserved. They give off a different yet distinct sort of beauty, and I can keep them in their current state forever.
Thus, I was immediately mesmerized by the collection “Locked in the Ether” and “Locked in the Ether 2.0” by the Osaka-based photographer, Kenji Shibata. Freezing flowers in ice, he has literally stopped the effect of time on the petals. Locked with unique water patterns that induce a surreal trial of static motion, his subjects give off more than just an icy feeling, but rather a sensation that is mercilessly beautiful.
