STORY BEHIND THE ART OF MONICA DEVRIES GOHLKE

Weird, Wild, & Wonderful

Second New York Botanical Garden Triennial Exhibition

2014 - 2016

Devil’s claw

Proboscidia louisiana 

Roaming through the herb garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, on the lookout for an unusual-looking plant specimen for the “Weird, Wild and Wonderful” project, I was shown the dried seed pod of the Probiscidia louisiana by the resident curator and was instantaneously fascinated. And to my utmost delight, there on the ground was the living, blooming, sticky-fruited plant offering itself enthusiastically to my pencil and paper. After sketching, I quickly photographed the plant and with the gift of the dried pods in my pocket, I proceeded home to start my layout for the etching I was planning. I googled my plant and found a few different common names for it: Ramʼs Horn and Louisiana Unicorn Plant as well as Devilʼs Claw. “Devilʼs claw” indeed, because after fertilization of the delicate, white to pink flower, the ensuing green, curved, single tapering “horn” splits in half when dried, to form two dark, woody, sharp “claws” revealing the black seeds inside. Such a miraculous process, from the most fragile form of a small flower, to the menacing looking sharpness of the “Devilʼs claw” (only to our eyes, of course - wildlife is probably delighted and canʼt wait till the seeds are finally revealed). 

I was surprised to read that the young fruits are also edible when cooked or pickled; if I had my own plant, I might try a little food preparation myself with them (“Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble...”) 

My aquatint etching technique was amicably suited to the task of showing both line and volume of different parts of the plant; the gradations from pale grey to deepest black inform all the various textures of leaves and fruits. Also, I printed the piece on a colored chine colle paper and added a bit of hand-coloring in the flower to give additional visual pleasure to the viewer. 

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Read more about this artist's work: 15th Annual International