Constructed Futures: The World We Choose to Build

Centered in the Great Lakes region, my photography explores the intersection of the natural world and the built environment. Though presenting two distinct projects that have developed adjacently over the past year, both are woven together by the concepts of caretaking and stewardship of the land and its inhabitants; framing the landscape as a metaphor for love, loss, and resilience in the face of political and societal upheaval. Rooted in ecofeminism, my photographs celebrate urban renewal and view native plantings and preparing care packages as acts of resistance.

To generate these photographs, I craft detailed three-dimensional scenes from translucent paper, architectural models, and natural objects, placing the physical constructions on a large lightbox to be photographed.  This technique allows me to abstract the landscape, play with perspective and perception, and craft visually complicated narratives.  I often create triptychs or multipaneled displays to show the expanse of the landscape as well as environmental or storyline shifts over time.  The resulting vignettes hint at multiple futures, for neither are straightforward depictions; rather, they are imaginings that represent possible pathways for the small stretch of land I inhabit.

In Archeology of 4730 Lexington Avenue, I visually depict the arc of a former industrial site as it transforms into a public green space and photographic arts center. The resulting images acknowledge the building’s history as a former laundry and nod to its potential as a place for creative endeavors and interaction with nature.  Collectively, these fourteen photographs articulate a place, document a metamorphosis, and carve out a cerebral space to reimagine our collective future in the region.  Similarly, All I Can Hold Onto traces the restoration of Euclid Creek over time. This triptych references the protection of species and habitat while alluding to parenting and the simultaneous desire to hold onto and let go of what you love most. Sending My Love traces the flow of letters and care packages as they traverse disparate waterways to reach loved ones over vast distances, presenting parallels between caring for others and the natural world.  These personal narratives offer entry into the artwork and connect with others who are grappling with the challenges of finding balance in this moment of environmental and political collision.