One Dozen Roses

Throughout history, poets, musicians, and artists have praised the beauty of the rose. Over centuries, this flower has acquired layers of meaning in many different contexts, making it an extraordinarily potent and complex symbol.

The ancient Greeks considered the rose to be a sign of inspiration, sacred to the muses. The Romans placed roses on graves as symbols of enduring love. A withered rose came to symbolize the brevity of earthly joy; a red rose, sexual love; a white one, purity. To the alchemists, the rose stood for the transmutation of matter into spirit, the mystic center of the heart.

In this series, Cy DeCosse has searched for new ways to explore this ancient symbol. He has used techniques such as infra-red and extreme close-ups to take a fresh look at the rose in a variety of forms, from dewy buds to dried petals.

All the photos are printed in platinum, an historic photo process where platinum and palladium metals are deposited into the surface of the paper, creating images of exceptional depth and richness.