My work investigates how our experiences with nature are mediated
and reintroduced into contemporary life/interiors in artificial and inauthentic
forms. I am particularly interested in spaces that employ architecture,
technology, and other indoor fixtures to provide softened experiences with signifiers
of the natural i.e. manicured plant life, a picturesque landscape scene, or the
sound of falling water.
I combine image-making and sculptural methods to produce systems
that work to build and present images of seemingly real and familiar landscapes.
Multiple elements including armatures, scale models, projections of skies and
sunsets, and cameras work to produce videos of quaint nature scenes. The put-togetherness
of the sculptural systems characterizes these romantic depictions of nature as
a construct of artifice. Video components of these sculptures are presented at
a separate location on a computer monitor or TV screen. These works investigate
the space between a physical site and virtual site, while questioning the
credibility of both.
Recently my practice concerns the role of the nature-spectacle in places of work and
commerce. Research for this work includes long visits to the NorthPark Mall in
Dallas, TX. In this space, I observe and document examples of architecture
producing abstractions of nature, how the natural has been translated into spectacle,
and how brief interactions shape the experiences of consumers. A large fountain,
emanating waterfall-like noises throughout the cavernous interior, can be
observed functioning as indoor quasi-geyser/watering hole where shoppers
congregate to passively engage with the natural simulation. A crystal clear
pond exists as a habitat for ducks and turtles amidst jewelry stores and high
fashion boutiques. Within this space, has nature become an extension of
commerce? Do these spectacles of the natural prolong the amount of time a
consumer will spend inside?
The many forms nature will take in a man-made space have
always held my interests. Observing how interactions with these abstractions of
nature continue to shape perceived notions of the natural is what drives my
practice.
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