An Art That Nature Makes: The Work Of Rosamond Purcell

An Art That Nature Makes: The Work of Rosamond Purcell is an insightful documentary that delves into the life and creative journey of acclaimed photographer, Rosamond Purcell. Directed by Molly Bernstein, this compelling 2015 film provides an in-depth perspective into Purcell's illuminating work and her ongoing fascination with the confluence of art and nature. With Purcell herself as the lead, this film is certainly an intriguing exploration of the esoteric artist's work and passion that blends the worlds of art, science and history.

The film commences with a visit to Purcell's studio that is filled with a bevy of peculiar objects she has meticulously collected over her lifetime. This forms the basis of her extensive photographic collection that renders the mundane and the overlooked into surreally beautiful and stunning visual artifacts under her lens. Her unorthodox approach to the world of photography is bound to captivate viewers.

The movie captures Purcell's unique aesthetic sensibility and her penchant for integrating nature into art, as she weaves magic through her lens, providing a unique perspective on items as simple as split-opened books to naturally oxidized objects, and from miraculous specimens of flora and fauna to the astonishing anatomical collections of humans and animals alike.

Apart from bearing witness to Purcell's technological mastery and ingenious creative process, the film also showcases her collaborations with various scholars, historians, and scientists. One of her significant collaborations and enduring friendships is with paleontologist and writer, Stephen Jay Gould. Their intellectual camaraderie and shared fascination for the natural world manifest through their works, enriching the narrative of the film and the realm of knowledge alike.

What makes this documentary particularly compelling is how it extrapolates the innate aesthetics and uncanny beauty from relics of the past, whether they are distressed books, fossilized specimens, or rusted metal. The film beautifully encapsulates how Purcell's works redefine the boundaries between the beautiful and the grotesque, the natural and the artificial, all the while emphasizing the ephemerality and transience of life forms and materials.

Director Molly Bernstein’s filmmaking offers an immersive viewing experience. The movie incorporates in-depth interviews and engaging dialogues with Purcell and her contemporaries, offering viewers an insight into Purcell's artistic motivations and behind-the-scenes glimpses of her artistry. The film's meticulously crafted narrative is supported by stunning visual imagery, with Purcell's photographs themselves becoming the most riveting characters on the screen.

The scenes are presented artistically and gracefully, often interspersed with Purcell's philosophical reflections on nature, art, and life. Whether you're an artist, a photographer, a scientist, or just an art appreciator, Purcell's journey through life's discards and their reincarnation into art forms will certainly provoke thought and imagination.

In addition to representing Purcell's work, the film addresses the perennial dialogue between art, science, and nature – a dialogue that is at the heart of Purcell's universe. The intertwining of these three elements becomes evident as she categorizes, photographs, and creates intriguing narratives around her object collections.

The documentary, thus, is also a reflection and exploration of the human fascination with collecting, documenting, and classifying - a reflection that resonates with Purcell's own practices and perhaps, with those of the viewers as well. ‘An Art that Nature Makes: The Work of Rosamond Purcell’ tells a tale of curiosity, scholarship, innovation, and beauty, leading to a profound understanding of the world we inhabit.

Touching upon science, art, time, and memory, An Art That Nature Makes: The work of Rosamond Purcell is an ode to the transformative power of vision. It is a celebration of how viewing the humdrum of life through a unique lens can illuminate a contemplative and wonderstruck engagement with the world around us.

The film will not only leave you fascinated by Purcell's prolific output and her unmatched skill navigation between art and natural history but will surely invite you into a gaze more closely at the objects and world around you. Watch as this enthralling film bridges the gap between the artist's studio and the viewer's perception, embarking on an enlightening journey into Purcell's creative universe.