BRANDscapes is a series of modern micro Western landscape photographs: stereoscopic 3D macro images of shiny, marketing-phrase-covered litter objects found decaying amidst the flowing geology and flora of Southwestern US deserts, mountains, and beaches.
BRANDscapes is a series of modern micro Western landscape photographs: stereoscopic 3D macro images of shiny, marketing-phrase-covered litter objects found decaying amidst the flowing geology and flora of Southwestern US deserts, mountains, and beaches.
I came upon these objects, in their natural settings, with the fascination and exhilaration of an archaeologist. In bringing my eyes to the ground, I was surprised at how simply and efficiently these tiny scenes conveyed essential qualities of larger-scale phenomena. It seems that the currents we observe in our society and environment from the wide viewpoint of our daily lives can also be found to have complexity (in a fractal-scaling manner) down at this ‘microcosmic’ level. From their packagings' humorous spelling and outlandish graphic design to the various acts of refuse and discard that brought them to where I found them, these objects speak powerfully about our manners of relating to each other, to our bodies & psyches, and to our environment. They tell stories of our economics, our nutrition, and our fascinations. Their processes of decay, and their interactions with the land around them, display both the gnarled and the sublime flow patterns of the natural world. Each object was photographed in the moment it was discovered.
During exhibits, I’ve found that viewers leave their encounter with an enhanced degree of wonder, thoughtfulness, and activism. I am currently discussing possibilities of partnership with advocacy organizations to promote access to the work through further exhibits and through the production of a book (with lenses built into a flap in the cover).