Not Inclined to Experiment

January 27, 2012

Eggplant

“I thought to have finished with peppers. But peppers never repeat themselves: shells, bananas, melons, so many forms are not inclined to experiment — not so the pepper, always excitingly individual.”
– Edward Weston, Daybooks

When I photograph vegetables I cannot help but think of Edward Weston’s peppers. They are so curvy and sensuous. (You can see his pepper photos here and here and here.) I recently bought an eggplant, and I love its rounded shape. But photographing it is a challenge, as it starts to look simply bullet-shaped. I think eggplant must be one of those forms that are “not inclined to experiment.”