Artist’s Statement
I inherited a fascination with natural formations from my grandmothers. My lolas, both of whom are in their 90s, have always been fixated on flowers — one a devoted gardener, the other a skilled painter. Lola B patiently nurtured buds into existence in her greenhouse and gardens. Lola C consistently centered florals in her paintings, joyfully elevating humble blossoms on to enormous canvases.
Heirblooms is my attempt to engage with this transgenerational floral fixation on my own terms. In this series of photographs, I take fresh orchids, decaying flowers, and delicate seashells and drench them in vibrant chromatic, physical, and photographic distortions as a way to locate a vertex that resonates with me, a filthy millennial. The sparkling colors and abstracted forms rendered on shimmering paper are a visual bridge, a rainbow connection if you will, knitting these age-old natural forms with the digital age’s penchant for reimagining reality. They stand as an invitation, not only to witness the collision of the organic and the abstract, but also to ponder the transformative power of heritage.
Many of these distortions appear almost digital in their application, though they are certainly photographic in nature. The camera was my main tool of distortion – freezing flowing water and magnifying miniscule details. In the tradition of Modernist photographers before me, I’ve used the medium to amplify the perception of the naked eye. Water was also a helpful distorter, by giving both too much and too little: the flowers were either drowned or dehydrated, though this left no trace on the seashells. The results are floral tableaus that amplify the interplay of hope in life, the inevitable passage of time, and the enduring traces we leave behind.
This collection is an ode to my grandmothers, who embraced the wonders of nature and the beauty in the ordinary. Heirblooms is a testament to the vibrant continuity of life, art, and the indelible impressions left by those who came before.
If you want to learn more about Heirblooms, I gave an artist’s talk at Parola UP Fine Arts Gallery in September 2023 that is available to view on their Facebook page.
Some prints are still available for purchase. For inquiries, please send me a message via my contact form.