Florian W. Mueller · CLIENT: Florian W. Mueller Photography
Samsa is a photographic artwork from the series Neglect. The series shows preserved specimens of insects, most of which are extinct or critically endangered. The images were made with a digital camera system and a 105mm macro lens. A multishot function was used to create very large files of 185 megapixels. A small table-top studio was built so that the fragile specimens could be photographed with almost no handling. The prints are produced in two sizes and in limited editions. The aim is to reveal the unusual beauty of insects and to draw attention to insect extinction.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- “As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.”
Franz Kafka
Part of the collection NEGLECT, photographed specimens of animals, most of which are extinct or critically endangered.
I want to show a little bit of the sometimes bizarre beauty of the insects, so that the viewer might see them with different eyes.
Because insect extinction is very real and not a made-up story. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Different artworks in two sizes in the end: 80 x 60cm and 120 x 90 cm. All available in strictly limited editions of 10/5 pieces.
- Tags
- photography, macor, insects, bugs, nature, animals, creatures, colors, fine art, artwork
- Production Technology
- Digital photography with the Leica SL2 system and a 105mm Macro lens.
The photographer used the "Multishot" function of the Leica System to produce giant 185 megapixel pictures of these little creatures. - Design Challenge
- The hardest part was to invent a small table-top-studio situation to photograph the little very fragile prepared insects. The photographer wanted to touch them as little as possible because the preparations are very fragile.
- Project Duration
- The planning took about half a year, in total it was four days on site to photograph. The post production took another two weeks.
- Operation Flow
- The photographer asked for the permission to photograph these sometimes very rare or extinct insects in the institute in Brandenburg near Berlin in Germany. Then he got to work there with great support.
- Inspiration
- Insect extinction is very real and not a made-up story.
And these little creatures do not have a loud lobby.
The photographer wants to show a little bit of the sometimes bizarre beauty of the insects, so that the viewer might see them with different eyes.
Florian W. Mueller worked before with the Senckenberg Institute on a project about mammals. - Image Credits
- All pictures:
Prof. Dr. Thimas Schmitt, Director
Mandy Schroeter, Technical Assistant Coleoptera & Digitization - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Florian W. Mueller, 2022
Press releases are available in 1 languages.