Under the Oval

Lumen prints are made with sheets of unexposed black-and-white photo paper. They are similar to sun prints, as they are exposed in the sun but never developed. Using organic materials, the sun, and family snapshots reminds me of their lives and their deaths. The materials I use in the prints are alive, but they will also die. During the time they are connected to the photo paper they affect the prints, just as elements affect our bodies and souls. There is an interconnectedness to the basic materials that I work with that is tied to loss and the passage of time. I choose to leave the prints unfixed, which means the images of my loved ones will slowly fade and eventually disappear. The death of my dog, Maya, brought me to this project, and it has been my way of memorializing her and healing. It required me to go outside to collect plants and flowers. This is something I could not do without purpose, without the project. Each plant or flower used has meaning related to my loved one. This project is ongoing.