"When you are not able to discover the whole world in a small corner of your garden, do not travel. You are not able to see and learn anything” (Chinese saying)

THE BEGINNING
Grey December 19, ten years ago. Against a plain winter window background
the sun delineated the shapes and textures of a bright red Amaryllis flower,
catching my eye and my imagination. A birthday gift from M to M.
Inside the petals, the stigma on top of the style was surrounded by anthers
trembling invisibly on long filaments. Observing the dialogue of these
floral elements, I created the first image for my book project with
the working title of ”Ero-tic”.

THE APPROACH
For me, as always, the most interesting things unfold around the edges
of our existence – on borders and on a small scale, under the magnifying glass
of life. Essential to look at those small spheres or fragments of nature from
the same level. There, hidden from eyes of casual observers passing by
with no magnifying glass and no desire to look closer, was another
fascinating and magical world (microcosmos) of plants.

THE BOOK
Images shown here will hopefully inspire the necessity of analysing details
to discover and, if not to understand, at least to appreciate the language
of the shapes and colours of flowers and vegetables. Perhaps we can read,
feel and reaffirm that plants can talk and have emotions, exist not only
as decorative objects. In particular, I have been inspired by the works of
Ernst Haeckel, Alexander von Humboldt, Carl Blossfeldt, Man Ray,
Edward Weston, Irving Penn and this book is an homage to all of them.
For me this visual journey has no end.