ARTIST STATEMENT

DIALOGUE & INTROSPECTION THROUGH INTIMACY & PERSPECTIVE 

DIALOGUE

Down to the smallest of elements, everything exists in relation to something else. Nature has taught me that connectedness, reciprocity, and symbiosis are dynamics that are at the foundation of life. From within these forces, we learn to communicate and value our differences. Whatever our background, whatever our beliefs, the dialogue is our tool to expand our horizons and find commonality. Through my photos, I seek to create relationships, whether they are inward or outward. My images are not meant to tell a story, they are meant to start a dialogue and create a story.

INTROSPECTION

Within this dialogue, the way we perceive the world, the way we create our stories, and the way we interact with others is a mirror to the way we see ourselves. Through my photos, I seek to inspire introspection and awareness. The images are visual guidelines that lead to a place where the viewer can connect with its inner self. The simplicity and seemingly emptiness found in nature has a powerful purpose, it creates a place for us. It is an invitation to symbiosis. We are part of Nature. We are Nature. Just like Nature is within us, it is us.

INTIMACY

Photos are a manifestation of light. But beyond the light, beyond the photos, there is shadow. In the shadows, we lose our sight but gain more intimate senses. Our hearing opens up. Our smell tunes in. Control gives way to intuition. Instead of reaching out and introducing ourselves, we become vulnerable and let the world in. From this vulnerability, intimacy sets in. Our connectedness deepens and our humanity heightens. Through my photos, I seek to bridge an intimate place that is beyond the images, where we can explore these places that celebrate life and our humanity.

PERSPECTIVE

The stories we create have a complicated origin. We each have a unique perspective through which we interpret and process information. This lens stems from a combination of beliefs and lived personal and public experiences. We each see and experience differently. In my photos, I purposely take the context out so that those perspectives are brought to the surface, forcing us to acknowledge the subjectivity of reality. Through my images, I seek to illustrate how something so visual can becomes something so interpretative. What is a reality for one is an illusion for another. 

ANIMALS

When I photograph wildlife, I don’t hide from them. I want them to see me. Through my photos, I seek to create totems. My goal is to capture their inner spirit, their energy. I want to acknowledge and celebrate a creature that has successfully carved itself a niche in the tree of evolution. I want to connect with them in the same manner that a student looks up to his teacher. I want to look into their eyes and I want them to look into mine. There is so much for me, for us, to learn from them. When I press the shutter, there isn’t me, the human, and it, the wild animal, rather there is Us. Two creatures sharing this space, breathing the same air, doing what we can to survive and protect the ones we care for and love.