Book Review: Wild Flowers by Joel Meyerowitz
San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico 1971 ©Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg.
Written by: Andy Dion
Taking a look through the pages of Joel Meyerowitz’s Wild Flowers, one sees images of happenstance, of hilarity, and of profound sadness. Originally released in 1983, the idea for Wild Flowers came to Meyerowitz when he discovered a notable amount of flowers in his work. The result of the project was an interesting, simultaneous extrapolation of and departure on and from his previous work, acknowledging the flower in our daily life. Now, an updated 2020 version of the ubiquitous photobook is available with unseen and recent additions.
Longchamps, Paris 1967 ©Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg.
A casual onlooker might construe Wild Flowers as a book of flower worship, a passion project devoted to the beauty of nature’s fertile art. However, that presumption couldn’t be further from the truth. In an interview with AnOther, Meyerowitz said that while creating the book, he pondered, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to challenge the cliche and see if I could not show pretty pictures of flowers?” The product of that initial wager is a surprising examination of humanity’s relationship with flowers. We do tend to exalt the likeness of bright and delicate buds, but they are ever present — even when they’re not being celebrated or ornamentalized. Meyerowitz explores this concept by compiling his street photography, still lifes, landscapes, and more. The breadth of visual styles and intent help fulfill the photographer’s mission statement of being able to present the flower as it really is in the world — not just a circumstantial prop.
Easter Parade, New York City 1964 ©Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg.
The book’s cover, picturing a woman wearing a hat and veil of flowers, evokes a plain faced sense of humor present in the collection. Flowers are seen used as clothing, decoration, and garden staples — all things we expect from such lovely plants, yet flowers are celebrated far more often than we realize. Meyerowitz finds flowers in photographs that do not primarily subject them; they are seen printed on clothing, embroidered and embossed on bedroom curtains, and as props in centuries-old paintings. In observing the presence of blossoms as mere textures in our world, they seem all the more pervasive.
St. George, Grenada 1971 ©Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg.
Aside from their textural representations, Meyerowitz shows flowers in the wild of the concrete jungle. Beautiful florid plants are bought and sold — flowers are material goods and indicate wealth. Some shots show flowers in transit from being bought to their rightful vase, or just before being sold. These moments feel like people watching — only here, it’s flower watching. But the plants are never quite as interesting as some of Meyerowitz’s human subjects. In one such instance, he composes a populated sidewalk photo with a bandaged woman, standing next to a bouquet of flowers that not only match her attire but the man holding the arrangement. Moments like this are jarring, asking us futilely why our eyes so easily move away from the gorgeous plants.
New York City, 1974 ©Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg.
Meyerowitz’s aforementioned mission to subtly hone the use of flowers shows his keen eye for color and setting. Many photos in this collection so subtly feature flowers that finding such moments can solicit an a-ha! There is a photo of the hood of a car dusted with little pink petals. In instances like this, Meyerowitz postulates what a flower is. Is a flower simply a colorful petal, or must it teem with nectar?
Movie Theater, New York City 1976 ©Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg.
Granada, Spain 1967 ©Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg.
Wild Flowers captures cornerstones of life through the presence of flowers and, through their seemingly inescapable presence, we realize their enduring nature. Flowers often symbolize a tenuous lifespan, yet many of Meyerowitz’s images suggest their survival in our death. A beautiful example of this is “Ceremony, Cape Cod Bay, 2010” which captures a memorial tradition of casting flowers out to sea in celebration of the dearly departed. Here, flowers play a central role in a ceremonial recognition of life. The flowers are subjects in their own right in the context of Wild Flowers, but the secret subject is life itself. Meyerowitz strives to encapsulate the fickleness and majesty of life by misdirecting through flowers –- and what a thoughtful and affirming gesture that is.
Chenonceaux, France 1967 ©Joel Meyerowitz, Courtesy Howard Greenberg.
