Janet Malcolm's 'Burdock' Photographs at Lori Bookstein Fine Art Explore Decay and Photographic Legacy

From September 9 to October 11, 2008, 'Burdock,' a photographic exhibition by Janet Malcolm, was held at Lori Bookstein Fine Art in New York City. The display featured images of decaying burdock leaves captured between 2005 and 2007. Alongside the exhibition, a picture book containing smaller reproductions and an introductory essay was released. Malcolm acknowledged the impact of Richard Avedon and explored the theme of ruin through literary references to Chekhov and Hawthorne. The photographs, characterized by descriptors such as 'prim' and 'plagued,' included Burdock No. 24, which depicted a water bottle's neck. The original prints exhibited a grainy texture, which was diminished in the book. Moyra Davey commended Malcolm's work in 'Long Life Cool White,' connecting it to thinkers like Sontag and Barthes.