Artist’s Statement
In this series, I photographed the same set of chrysanthemums in various states of dissolution. The flowers were submerged in salt water, frozen in ice, thawed, and finally smothered in heavy paint. In the images, the mums transition from full and luscious to a state of decay and dissolution – all the while maintaining their vibrance.
I am interested in the paradox of water. It is both a lifegiving force and poisonous destroyer, a gentle trickle and a tidal wave. Its solid form, ice, is preservative, but also destructive. The state of the flower is contingent on its relationship with water.
Photography is the same way. It can preserve − these states of decay have come and gone, and photography is the window through which these states remain visible. Without the perseverence of the image, these fleeting waterscapes would dissolve without a trace. But photography also distorts − it enhances, it suspends, it keeps things in and leaves things out. Much like water, it is a paradox that can both amplify and destroy.
In the end, the mums are permanently changed.
This work was exhibited alongside the works of Johann Guasch entitled Vista, available to view on his website.
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