Early scientists collected and categorized natural specimens in an attempt to describe the world, working with the premise that when the small pieces are understood, the larger laws of nature will become evident. Although our understanding of the world has changed, researchers still explore links between species and families, finding connections in genetic and cellular material, rather than the more obvious values used in the past, such as size and color. When natural objects are compared and contrasted, other systems of categorization can also be found, based on form and function, gestures and symbolic attributes.
For example, in the piece North Star, I explore the basic triangle or pyramid form found in a moth, a photo-micrograph of a plant section, and a wilted bud. A triangle can create stability and solidity, possibly the idea of a focusing arrow, or expansion from a point. This form has cultural connections, such as the Egyptian pyramids with their intention of permanence, or the symbol delta, and the implication of change. The real North Star is a steady |
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North Star
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guiding force at the center of an always changing night sky,permanently fixed, yet impossible to grasp. In some way, these forms capture the sense of the eternal, yet ephemeral quality of those ideas
Natural objects and structures can suggest a variety of metaphors and symbols. In his writings about metaphor, George Lakoff suggests that our understanding of abstract (non-physical) concepts grows out of bodily experience, and is grounded in perception of the physical world. Thus, a physical function like seeing is a metaphor for understanding, or a physical aspect like up is a way to understand happy. Almost any form is more complex than one simple function or direction, and the concepts they suggest can become equally complex and layered. In his book Natural Art Forms, Karl Blossfeldt suggests that nature is the basis for all form, that simple plant structures could be the archetypes for all structures. Is it possible that these inherently beautiful forms are related to a way in which we understand our lives, and is that why they are so appealing?
Printmaking becomes the method for transforming dry specimens into personal meditations. My images start with objective, documentary-style photographs and drawings of natural (and occasionally man-made) specimens. Using hand applied inks, multiple layers, and photo and digital manipulations, I develop a system which allows for expression, variation and chance in printing, yet retains the appearance of a fixed matrix. The look of printed-ness, paired with the evidence quality of photography and technical drawing is part of the construction. The apparent facts of nature are reinvented, altered with subjective traces and messages. |
