Terroir: Understanding Place

The images in the Home Garden Longscape Series can not be contained in my usual photographic format, for they are far greater…. longer. This long format reflects the experience of being on the land, of being in a field, of becoming one of the elements within that space. The push and pull of this elongated format is about the orientation we have with the land which recognizes our upright and vertical relationship to the horizontal plain of the earth. Like the plants of the field we orient in a vertical way. Yet, as one scans the horizon there is a vastness to behold. The sight of the horizon challenges the experience of our vertical orientation as vision is the overriding sensory input. It’s an impossible view, yet one that feels familiar.

Home Garden Longscapes arise from close observation of a particular place over time, over a growing season. This series of images are mostly constructed of the plants from my home garden. These images arise from an intimate relationship with both the plants and the place, observed throughout the year as the seasons progress.

Reminiscent of historic panorama photographs, each composition is photographed in 6 or 8 sections and then assembled into an image that is in direct or one-to-one relationship to the plants observed. The final print is an eight feet long. The breadth of this compositional format affords enough space to explore what is happening in the garden at a particular point in time.

It’s challenging to balance one’s desires without causing harm or consuming the things one desires. Working with living plants I am careful to choose branches, flower and leaves that are just about to expire or fade in order to lessen my guilt and my impact. There is an edge to this work that wants to capture the fleeting beauty of the surrounding world, all the while recognizing that it does not last. It’s a race to capture something before it disappears. I want to amplify the impetus of what has inspired me. Yet, in capturing one moment does that make me less available to receive the next moment?

Home Garden: Early Spring

Summer’s End

First Frost

Winter Solstice

Longscape Series:

print size 36 x 96” Edition of one plus artist proof.

print size  27 x 72” Edition of two plus artist proof.