about |
My photographs of ephemeral sculptures give new life and meaning to objects which have been broken, discarded or forgotten. Many of my sculptures incorporate organic materials, subject to decay, so the photograph provides a visual record of a transient moment. I use organic material such as bones, insects, feathers, plants, taxidermy, and the occasional roadkill, as well as manufactured materials such as dolls, china, glass, furniture, and scrap iron. With its ability to preserve a specific moment, the photograph becomes the persistent visual object which allows the subject of my sculpture to live again. Thus, the process of assembling and photographing my sculptures is a rescue mission: to revive, reclaim, revitalize, and recontextualize what others might overlook, discard or reject. I construct and photograph my sculptures in natural settings and in natural light. The devolutionary effects of the environment upon the sculptural materials are integral components of the work. Once photographed, the sculptures are disassembled and the organic materials are returned once again to nature.
Photographs of my sculptures are recorded onto Fujichrome transparency film using a large format camera. The photographs are printed in limited editions on Ilfochrome or chromogenic print material.
DISCLAIMER: The animals featured in these photographs were taxidermy from Ma’Cille’s Museum of Miscellanea or were found dead, either by the roadside, under large windows, or brought home by one of my many cats (bad kitty!). Once photographed in their natural environment, the dead animals were left to the inevitability of decay.