Platycerium superbum, shield
Staghorn fern
There is beauty in death.
The shield frond of a staghorn fern sits close against its host tree, ageing from green to brown as it protects the plant and gathers falling organic matter.
A fallen, decaying staghorn drew my attention. The shield frond had broken down, leaving empty pockets within a network of veins—skeletal, weathered and unexpectedly beautiful.
What remained revealed a striking structure I might never have noticed in the living plant, reminding me that decay feeds new life.
Wet cyanotype on 250gsm Fleur de Coton printmaking paper
Artwork: 44 × 27 cm
Frame: 72 × 52.5 cm
Framed in an oak frame behind non-reflective UV glass
$1200
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