The work in this show starts with my preoccupation with the mundane waste of my family’s consumption, mainly plastic packaging, whose sole purpose is to protect an item until it comes into the home. I question what the shapes now symbolize and their existence beyond meager utilization. But I also take a closer look at the beauty in their distinctive form once their intended purpose of protection is complete.

By associating these items with the elements and organically mutable materials, I experiment with how these plastic materials can evolve and form new relationships with nature. The images often depict overlapping variations of each object, creating collages and fractured viewpoints. The images manipulate the focal range of the subjects using traditional formal methods. The landscapes offer a personal micro view, while the macro perspective of the portraits can be interpreted as artifacts, terrariums, or even ecosystems. The use of acrid colors in the background of each portrait is a deliberate choice aimed at creating a specific atmosphere. The portraits, grounded in black, reference vacuous space and sharp contrast, which allows for a focus on the specific.

My more recent work has used a more minimalist alternative process approach. Using cyanotypes and photograms, I examine the plastic materials’ details and how they can visually transform and relate to other natural elements.

I use this process to challenge my grief associated with the after-effects of consumption and use this process to create a dialogue on what the future might bring and what potential traces will be left behind.