Tea Bags

About the Book

Tea bags are humble pouches that shelter aromatic leaves. When they are submerged, their bodies swell and release stored life. A treasure of tannins begins to infuse the water with pastel hues, permeating the air with sobering scents. A cup of tea warms the soul—a source of solace and reflection.

Tea bags are disposed of on paper napkins, yet they try hard not to die. Still robust, their moist bodies bleed onto the paper a kaleidoscope of colors that goes unnoticed.

Abraham Menashe collected a variety of tea bags and photographed them alone and in pairs, molding some into body parts, and others into figures embodying the dance of courtship and union. This essay is an affirmation of intimacy, celebrating the music of a lover’s body and illustrating the nuances inherent in relationships. Here are tea bags expressing joy, seduction, heartbreak, coitus, pregnancy, birth, and family. This series is followed by a second that portrays tea bags as blossoms.

Menashe invites readers to journey with these tea bags, delight in their whimsical transformations, and let each one of the forty-three images be an inkblot for his or her vivid imagination.

To view the complete series and read an interview with the author, go to humanistic-photography.com.

About the Author