Whilst walking around the Utah Art Fair June (’12) I came upon the booth of Owen Mortensen and was blown away by his work with leaves and bamboo.  Using an exclusive process he has dubbed S³ (Selectively Skeletonized Sycamores), Mortensen stuns viewers in exposing the incredibly ornate veins and natural workings of a ‘simple’ leaf.  Here is an excerpt from Mortensen’s statement from his website:

“A common theme to Owen’s work is the concept of transition, progression and/or lifespan, portrayed literally and figuratively through pattern. Western culture and society reveres anything at its highest point of performance (e.g. A crop ripe for harvest, an athlete’s prime or a flower in full bloom), but often ignores the various stages before and after its perceived zenith of growth. These other stages in life, however, are equally as meaningful in depicting true progression.”

Peep his work in the gallery below, and scroll to the bottom to see a video with some of his process and words.

NATURAL STUPEFACTION