Photography
The Memory of Science
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My intent with this series is to metaphorically resurrect these creatures to show respect for their contribution to science. Though still contained by glass jars, resin, or display cases, and obviously dead; I wanted to glorify these creatures no longer touched by time. As they are held captive in a static state, a permanent and controlled suspension, they exist beyond time and therefore beyond loss. They are beings of wonder and curiosity that someone, at some point, wanted to preserve and contain.
Through these photographs, I illustrate the importance and singularity these creatures once held in the world, although they are now part of a collection of the lost. These photographs were first introduced in Mnemonic Amalgamation and revisited for (Un)Natural. |
Life Studies
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When I visit diorama halls of natural history museums I become completely engaged as I try to place myself within the minds of the creators. The diorama designer, the scene painters and sculptors, the taxidermy artists, and more, all came together to create permanent three dimensional still frames of the "natural" world. Often times when humans observe the rest of the animal kingdom, we project our own emotions onto what is in front of us; when viewing these staged sets, I wonder how much of the artists' own self is cast onto the creatures they are portraying. I try to seek out and capture these anthropomorphized moments and expose them through this work.
These tintypes were first introduced in Mnemonic Amalgamation and revisited for (Un)Natural. |
Attempted Meanings
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This series responds to, and also preserves, the scientific and technological contexts within which it is created. These photos are a study of the complex relationships between mankind and the natural world. Through discovering, identifying/naming, understanding, and preserving the flora and fauna of this planet, humans have gained (possibly a false sense of) control over it. What started as curiosity has turned into a strange possession through scientific collections, zoos, botanical gardens, and personal collections, all as an attempt to define and determine a greater meaning at what this world holds for us as humans.
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Immortals
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As a species, we yearn for a higher understanding, religious or otherwise, usually at the price of disconnecting ourselves from the surrounding world. Through this work I examine the relationships between our spiritual selves and other species that inhabit this planet with us.
View additional works from this series on the corresponding exhibit page. |
