Fred Waldvogel. Pilze

This exhibition catalogue of Fred Waldvogel’s (1922–1997) mushroom photographs brings a lively, contemporary feel to these old – and in some cases familiar – images via a generous high-gloss presentation. Most pages feature one of Waldvogel’s scientific photographic plates in the centre, depicting one or more samples of a single mushroom species laid out in different arrangements. The pictures are scaled in such a way that the mushrooms appear in their actual size, and thus the photographs’ dimensions vary considerably, leaving white margins of differing widths. In combination with the outstanding four-colour printing, this lends a strong aesthetic to the images: the focus is on the delicate forms and spectacular colour gradients of the mushrooms rather than scientific taxonomy and analysis – the purpose for which the photographs were taken and originally published in 1972 in two volumes by Silva-Verlag. Nevertheless, this edition is also interspersed with well-proportioned sections of textual information on isolated pages. The randomness with which these appear means they must be searched out, making the reader play an active role, akin to research. The light-grey padded hardcover with slightly viscous paper and brown lettering is understated compared with the pictures. Yet it remains close to nature with its light-hearted allusions to mushrooms, both in the soft haptics and visually through the narrow letters with tall ascenders that almost look to be emerging from the soil.

Editors
Various

Authors
Various

Design
Samuel Bänziger, Rosario Florio, Larissa Kasper, St. Gallen (CH)

Printing
FINIDR, Liptovský Mikuláš (CZ)

Publishers
Jungle Books, St. Gallen (CH); Zeughaus Teufen, Teufen (CH); Museum im Bellpark, Kriens (CH)

ISBN
978-3-9526078-5-5