Score and parts for hire

I found the starting point for this piece in the extraordinary close-ups of plants which the German photographer Karl Blossfeldt published in 1929. His magnified images show the intricate details, sleek designs and architectural shapes of hundreds of plants. Leaf shapes result from patterns of growth that start and stop. The points at which these changes occur are called ‘nodes’ or ‘points of arrest’. This is where growth stops in one direction, starts in the opposite direction and grows with maximum velocity, resulting in all varieties of leaf design. The beginning of ‘Streamlines’ is like a ‘point of arrest’ where a sudden growth spurt appears from nowhere and a line starts to emerge. Forceful interruptions continue throughout the piece, creating openings for new lines and patterns which in turn are jettisoned as the piece unfolds. Tansy Davies