Piece of the Week: Hen and Chick

This week’s Piece of the Week is Hen and Chick by Gustavo Castilla. It is a photograph of rocks surrounding a group of plants. This simple piece uses the dullness of the rocks to contrast greatly with the beauty of the plants. It is a symbol of how beauty can sprout from the most mundane places in life. The plants among the rocks may also show how beauty can be found anywhere, whether it’s noticeable or hidden.

This photograph was made by using a photographic process called Chrysotype; it was invented in 1842 by John Herschel. Colloidal gold is used to record images on paper through a process that requires coating the paper with ferric citrate and exposing it to sunlight.