postcards – Teufelskunst

Postcards Sale!

Since early childhood, I am torn between drawing and photographing. Both are my passion and both influence another. My favorite subject has always been nature, particularly plants. And even more interesting for me are the relations between plants and animals. A few years ago I began a series, fancily titled “Flower Devils”, sparked by my very first success at growing a witching herb, namely henbane, which was visited by a large earth bumblebee. That was the moment, I began researching the folklore of bumblebees, and then bees and other insects…

Meanwhile, the interest in society for the importance of honey bees and wild pollinators grew alike. And I kept photographing them, in my own garden and in nature.

About 10 years later, I am not only celebrating an anniversary with Teufelskunst, but also have accumulated dozens of “Flower Devils” and other photographs related to my occult work. Looking for a medium to suitably transport these photos and fitting them into the Teufelskunst shop, I figured big formats are nice but expensive. So what would be a more humble yet authentic way to deliver my “Flower Devils” to the world? A book? Yes, earlier this year I made a first attempt at a book and figured it’s still too big for me (both editing- and budget-wise). Then I discovered the printing company in Dresden, which I have been working with for years and who print my band photography as well other works, also offer postcards!

I love cards. I love writing personal messages by hand. I love postcards! And what could be more suitable than to have my little “Flower Devils” carry personal written messages all around the globe? So, it is my hope that with time, these postcards become an institution, for both sharing my work as well as forwarding personal messages to loved ones.

You can now order all postcards from me at reduced prizes! This offer will last until the 30th of July, 2019!

July 18, 2019

Posted In: Prints

Tags: flower devils, photography, macro photography, shop news, postcards

New “Flower Devils”

Or better said, postcards with new “Flower Devils” can now be ordered from me! The new cards feature newly captured impressions from the summer 2018 as well as some of my earliest photographs in this series, including the auspicious “Henbane Devil” on black henbane flower, which initiated and from which the series got its name.

In German folklore, witches and even the devil himself were believed to take on the shape of bumblebees. A bumblebee-wax candle was lit in church, if a witch was burnt at the stake. Evil people were cursed with having to return as a bumblebee after death. The sub-earthen drone sound of a bumblebee signaled the presence of the dead. Instead of consecrated wavers, bumblebees were allegedly served at black masses. Bumblebees were also superstitiously feared as carriers of sickness and ritually buried to drive out plague. On the other hand, a dead bumblebee worn in the pocket, was believed to ensure the purse would always be filled with money. And he, who managed to secretly steal the bumblebee’s honey, was destined to find a huge treasure. Hence bumblebees were both viewed as good and bad omens.

The other new cards are:

“Belladonna Devil” et al – large earth bumblebee entering a deadly nightshade flower, common carder bees on comfrey and viper’s bugloss flowers, wasps mating on our white lavender, bee inside crocus flower after a long winter

Impressions from recent trip to Crete – symbol laden honey bee among the ruins of the Minoan palace in Malia, a small wasp nest on prickly pear, protected sea daffodil flower with Mediterranean sea in the background

Last but not least, cards with unfolding flower of the “Black Devil” datura, blue Aconite and green Henbane “Dragon” and – upon request – myself among the green “devils” in our garden.

October 2, 2018

Posted In: Garden, Prints

Tags: pollinators, bumblebee, bee, wasp, witch herbs, butterfly, poisonous plants, insects, nature, garden, folklore, postcards, flower devils

Plants and Planets

New: postcards with my occult/nature inspired “Plants and Planets” series from 2018!

The postcards are available in two formats, small 10 x 15 cm and large 13 x 18 cm. They have round edges and the sizes comply with common post standards.

In the past botanists such as Nicholas Culpeper associated plants with the planets, fixed stars and zodiac signs. The attributions were based on an intense study of a plant’s features, which included treats such as a thorny or prickly appearance, the scent emitted by the flowers or the entire plant, the plant’s life cycle, colors, metals contained in a plant, medicinal and other uses and of course plenty of folklore. Today plants are classified scientifically based on their genome, but their planetary lore is preserved and continues to evolve in the books of authors such as Stephen Skinner, Paul Huson, Scott Cunningham, Harold Roth and so on.

I find it inspiring to continue this tradition and to explore its own inner logic. Hence I created these planet themed still life photographs of herbs, that I gathered from our garden and surroundings, many of which are also part of my seed boxes. They are ordered according to the Chaldean sequence. With this series I yet delve deeper into the language of plants and the symbolism and magical properties attributed to them.

Please leave a note with your order, if you wish for the postcard to be signed on the back (no extra cost).