Aliens are defined by belonging or relating to another person, place, or thing, or strange and exotic. I never thought much about the word or its meaning until I found these creatures hiding in the orchids on a trip to Atlanta Botanical Garden. I saw them immediately, and upon leaning in with my camera, just as quickly understood what they are, who they are and the role each one plays in the structure, very similar to the human experience and present in all forms of nature. Nicholas of Cusa theorized in 1440 that alien bodies could be inhabited by men, plants, and animals.
Almost six hundred years later, I confirm.
These orchids portray familiar characters, alive and in sync with nature, communicating with each other and the external world through their beauty and seeming silence. They breathe the same air, and like humans, need clean water and light, as well as love from Mother to exist.
What is Alien about that?
