Anatomies of an Autumn Herbarium

Anatomies of an Autumn Herbarium investigates the traces left by the withdrawal of water from autumn leaves. The project begins with a collection of individual leaves in different states of transformation. Each leaf is first photographed as a complete body. Three accompanying microscopic images reveal details of its surface and vein network. Attention is directed towards folds, deformations, cracks, and transitions between differently coloured areas. The investigation asks how a body shaped by water changes when its supply ends. Water loss is considered alongside autumn senescence and the beginnings of decomposition. The juxtaposition of scales reveals which structures persist and where their connections begin to break down. The resulting herbarium records the transformations and material traces of individual leaf bodies. At its centre lies the question of what remains legible of a living water transport system’s architecture once its supply has ended.

The project unfolds across four chapters, each examining a different aspect of the leaf’s transformation. Global Disruptions focuses on spots, dark patches and surface deposits, exploring their boundaries and relationships with the surrounding tissue. Chromatic Transitions follows the changing fields of yellow, orange and red and their interplay with the leaf’s underlying architecture. Residual Green turns towards the green islands, margins and vein patterns that remain visible within differently coloured surfaces. Structural Fragility examines folds, curled edges and changing contours, asking how water loss relates to the persistence and gradual disruption of form. Together, the chapters offer four interconnected perspectives on the material traces of change within individual leaf bodies.

The leaves were collected in southwestern Berlin. A heartfelt thank-you goes to H.P., who played a key role in selecting the leaves at the heart of this project.