Growing up in a small rural town, change came in spurts. As new buildings and other structures were erected, others were left to fade away, neglected and forgotten. Natural features were then allowed to take over again, to become part of the urban landscape. I am influenced by this juxtaposition of the natural (organic) and urban (created) environment as well as the clash between historic and modern structures. I feel that natural and urban structures seem capable of ‘emoting’, and that the natural landscape and urban environment have their own story to tell.
In my photographs I hope to instill to the viewer a multitude of emotional themes primarily without the use of a ‘feeling’ human or animal subject. I want to create a connection with the viewer through my images, and allow them to feel the close ties that I have within the environment that I live and work in.
The overall purpose of my work is to convey how truly inspiring and centering the natural world is to me, as well as the influence living in a close knit rural community has had on me as a photographer, artist and individual. Most of my photographs have been taken in the Willamette Valley in Oregon where I grew up (although since moving to Southern Illinois, I will be working to expand my worldview.) Through my photographic work I feel able to attain a tangible feeling of belonging to something much bigger then myself and I am capable of expressing my joy, anxiety and personal exploration with others through a visual medium.