A definition
September 13, 2020
Over my life I have spent a lot of time in the natural world in many different landscapes. Each one has it’s own nuance, beauty and story. I weave together a crossover of the senses within each time I enter a landscape. Taking the big picture and sharpening the focus underscores a concept I define as “place”. For me, place is a space where different textures and species I cultivate an understanding of the interactions. When I enter a new place, I first observe different species occupying these spaces.
Once the species are named, I then enter into an observational process to study their interactions. I begin this by naming the various inhabitants while concurrently observing their respective arrangements I notice a layered mosaic of stratum, canopy, sub-canopy, herbaceous cover. Each division has distinct creatures and each one unfolds its own form and function crafting a patchwork of players that occupy the stage of the place.
By identifying these players, I can examine deeper look at the subjects themselves. I then notice the colors and textures between the species and their respective stage. This process is both a quest for knowledge, and a space for creative wonder, a perceptual door is opened here. Upon the door opening I often focus on the soft, defuse light or the sharp angles of the sun. I notice the contrasts of the greens and greys. I witness contrasts between light and dark, between shadow and texture, with my camera I try to articulate and capture these contrasts.
For me place is a rich and textured interweaving balance, both form and function displayed repeatedly over and over. Simply, I enter a place and define its participants, and tease out the interplay between micro and macro scale with nuance and iteration.
Place is a metaphor tied into experience where both of these scales can exist independently and collectively. In this space both a naturalist and an artist overlap.