Natural beauty is unparalleled, but unfortunately, it is often very ephemeral and short-lived as well. Highlighting this bittersweet idea is the collaborative project by artist Tharien Smith and photographer Bruce Boyd titled ‘O ̊C’ that captures on film flower bouquets and collections of found objects cast in flat slabs of ice. The flowers are frozen overnight and then photographed in different bodies of water at various stages of melting, which results in uniquely beautiful photos with each crack and each air bubble adding a special something to the image, see for yourself in these 16 prime examples. You’re also welcome to visit the artist’s Website,Facebook Page or Instagram Page to view more of their work and learn more about the project.
1.
2.
3.
These stunning photographs were inspired by the art of Japanese flower artist Makoto Azuma, famous worldwide for his intricate monumental flower arrangements encapsulated in tall blocks of ice packed tightly into different receptacles and floating in the air.
4.
5.
6.
This artistic collaboration has been thriving ever since 2016, and as of 2019, Tharien Smith and Bruce Boyd have made hundreds of these unique frozen bouquets and they’re not about to stop, as the juxtaposition of ice, water, and flowers amazes and inspires them to this day. As Bruce writes, “I find it fascinating that ice can preserve something and at the same time also enhance or distort the beauty of it”.