FLÕS

Aesthetically, native plants, architectural spaces, and quality of light inform the works. Conceptually, it’s a story of adventure and education while in constant state of wanderlust.  These specific images were created during artists residencies in Malaysia and Thailand in the winter of 2016, partially edited while in residency in Portugal, creatively expanded in Sicily, and further developed while in residency in the Netherlands, and Santa Fe, New Mexico during the spring and summer of 2017. The images are a continuation of previous constructed still life works, first conceptualized 15 years ago with the series "Trace." The process of creating the work employs a collaborative combination of walking, gathering, and collecting, which are then carefully organized and constructed as one of a kind “temporal sculptures”. These specific images are in collaboration with Jesica DeHart and created out of locally found and collected native flora and materials. Technically, various light shaping, bending, and directing devices were created out of locally collected papers, and employed as a kind of performative stage, in order to frame, direct and reflect the "sculptures". The entire works for FLÕS were created in outdoor, temporary spaces, while photographed with a full frame DSLR. “The journey has become the art form itself.”  –Psycho Geography. In many respects, these works are a form of travel photography, which places subjective interpretations of place and the natural world at the forefront of consciousness. Conceptually, the works engage with the simulacrum of the object, considering the real object, the photo of the object, and the object as object. The final images synthesize an ongoing interest in the connections, conflicts, and intersections of nature and culture.