Hollow Dreams: A Study of Memory, Land, and Imagination
My graduate studies at the University of Connecticut have begun to revolve around three words: Memory, Transformation, and Wonder. These charges guide my practice as I further explore my relationship to image-making, using my camera as an extension of myself. In a way, I am trying to resurrect my memories, which lend a kind of strength to my sense of belonging. I photograph my surroundings and fragment them, incorporating elements of my childhood as I piece the scenes back together. This follows part of the traditional principles of Western alchemy, which is something else I have been drawn to in my studies. The magnum opus, or “great work,” is the ultimate goal of alchemy. From a philosophical/psychological perspective it is not about immortality or turning lead into gold (although photography, like many art forms, makes use of precious and finite metals), but rather about death and rebirth, individuation and the actualization of the whole. The three main phases are nigredo [destruction or death], albedo [refinement or purification], and rubedo [fixation or unification]. The deconstruction, development/toning, and collaging of my photographs echo this process of transformation.
Photography is my magic, the wondrous marriage of science and art by which I explore and understand the mysteries of the world. I’m trying to draw upon the prima materia (first matter) of the universe, to get in touch with the soul of the world. I fragment and refine the images my lens captures, animating them with light and shadow, illustrating the memory of the land. This animation has to do with a fear of loss, of home, of memory, which has become more prominent in my life as of late. Our memories are but pieces of a puzzle that create a larger image of our self. Some things we can remember or (re)discover, but some fragments can never be truly known. My collages in particular are starting to touch on that phenomena: the unknowable. This patchwork of landscape and memory is ultimately about acceptance of ourselves, the desire to be whole, and attaining that state of being where we are one with the universe, to know that we belong. I will continue to evolve alongside my work, and use this time in graduate school to cultivate a deeper understanding of my relationship to photography and landscapes of remembrance.
Photography is my magic, the wondrous marriage of science and art by which I explore and understand the mysteries of the world. I’m trying to draw upon the prima materia (first matter) of the universe, to get in touch with the soul of the world. I fragment and refine the images my lens captures, animating them with light and shadow, illustrating the memory of the land. This animation has to do with a fear of loss, of home, of memory, which has become more prominent in my life as of late. Our memories are but pieces of a puzzle that create a larger image of our self. Some things we can remember or (re)discover, but some fragments can never be truly known. My collages in particular are starting to touch on that phenomena: the unknowable. This patchwork of landscape and memory is ultimately about acceptance of ourselves, the desire to be whole, and attaining that state of being where we are one with the universe, to know that we belong. I will continue to evolve alongside my work, and use this time in graduate school to cultivate a deeper understanding of my relationship to photography and landscapes of remembrance.
