Yard Work 7
In Another Way of Looking at Love, the landscape is explored as a metaphor to consider our yearning to be connected and the personal, societal, and environmental consequences of disconnection. I use the 8x10 camera to create still lives in the landscape that combine similar and disparate visual and biological elements. I begin by identifying details in nature that, based on a unique vantage point, create geometric formations of closure. The connective point, or nucleus, that is created by the union becomes my plane of focus. The work is informed by my recent immersion in drawing and painting from perception, primarily by charcoal mark-making—a new aspect of my practice that has allowed for a deeper inquiry into the nature of seeing and the notion of relationality.
The series’ title is from a quote by the philosopher Alain de Botton, who supports Dr. Amy Banks’ neuroscientific research and Relational-Cultural Theory. Dr. Banks’ theory posits that humans are biologically hardwired to connect and that our wellness (and the well-being of our culture and planet) depends on our connections with others and with nature. Thus, this three-year project serves as a catalyst for viewers to return to reflections of a natural ideal, to explore our basic human need for connection to nature and, simultaneously, the interconnectedness of all life forms. It also aims to elicit sensitivity and respect at this pivotal moment in our environmental, political, and shared human history.