The design of many of our personal belongings such as furniture and other home décor illustrates that way that we are compelled to copy or mimic nature; yet, though we admire nature enough to replicate it, in today’s world we destroy or seriously modify it through our alteration of the natural landscape.
Through the use of floral prints, plants, flowers, bees, and faux bois, this body of photographic work, Patterns, questions and at times glorifies our relationship to the natural world. Why do we choose to preserve the idea of nature through these inauthentic imitations, rather than referring directly to nature itself? Why are we drawn to and ultimately satisfied by a mere copy?
The floral and wood grain patterns I utilize in my photographs are strangely beautiful and intriguing to me, yet simultaneously ugly and repulsive. This contradictory condition is not unlike the way we are simultaneously driven to abuse nature for our wants and needs while also attempting to preserve certain aspects of it for its inherent beauty. In the end, we may find that we copy nature for a variety of reasons, including convenience, admiration, and comfort.