Parallel Landscapes explores environmental concerns and illustrates the contrast between a vibrant Earth and one ruined by harmful human interactions. By way of hazy landscapes and my mark as an artist with flash, C-stands or clamps, I want to create a disorienting world hauntingly evocative of our current planet gone wrong.
I incorporate color directly into the photos using gels on a flash or by shooting through a transparent surface covered with paint. Many are night images made using 5- to 30-second exposures, then quickly shifting the camera to capture a dreamy appearance and firing the gelled flash multiple times. For most, I use the 16-mm fisheye lens because of its wide angle’s ability to distort, thereby capturing a surreal view of the world.
I have always felt a strong connectedness to the land and a responsibility for my mark on the environment because of my childhood growing up on a farm. That grounding inherently makes its way into my illustrations. This body of work is not necessarily “in your face,” and it’s not the repeated mantra of recycling. My goal is a quieter presentation, perhaps a more subtle manner that carries a louder impact.
