A Suspended Flame

About this piece

Mike Gedj frames a descending cluster of flowers, with yellow blooms opening among red buds on slender purple stems. The vertical composition and softly blurred green background emphasize the plant’s sculptural contours and vivid contrasts.

The story

I followed the hanging stem with my eye, from the open yellow flowers to the smallest buds at its tip. Each shape seemed to hold a different measure of light: red folds, pale edges, a curve of purple stem. Through the lens, the foliage behind them softened into green circles. I kept the descending line at the center, letting this small procession of flowers fill the frame.