Introduction
My work is informed by my own cultural identity as well as a curiosity in people’s relationship with the natural environment. I am interested in the persistence of mythology in depictions of the landscape as well as how culture and myth often intertwine to create altered perceptions of space and place. I view the landscape as a palimpsest, which shapes individual notions of self as well as social dynamics between people. I am also interested in the psychological effects of seclusion; specifically, how human beings react whenever they are not being observed and how social norms can break down or perpetuate within secluded spaces. Moreover, my work questions traditional notions of masculinity, which are also often expressed through men’s relationships with the forest and with one another within this context.
I construct images based on pairs, or sometimes-individual men, interacting within landscape settings that are intended to be both ambiguous and picturesque. Originally inspired by fantastic tales of man versus nature from 19th century sporting periodicals, these photographs are staggered fictional narratives focusing on the tension between the characters in the images rather than their presumed activities. By the same token, the images are intended to contradict those more traditional notions of maleness that inspired them.
Through tacit glances, pregnant pauses, and brief moments of non-verbal communication, the images represent the moment before a significant event as well as subtle shifts in power between the individuals. I use cinematic methods of storytelling and compositional techniques to generate rich, open-ended narratives meant to promote feelings of anxiety and anticipation in the viewer. To this end, the narrative images have an ambiguity regarding relationships, events, and places, which are also subject to interpretation.
