Hands and Feet
Dried leaves with cut-outs, mounted between sheet-acrylic.
The silhouette of hands and/or feet have been cut into leaves, carefully cutting between the veins of the leaf, allowing the vein structure to remain intact. Leaves were dried and mounted using archival methods.
The Idea of a Sunset
Two sentences were cut from leaves, one puts forth a scientific approach to nature, the other a more poetic approach. (The artist is the author of the text.)
A History of Verdure
400 dried leaves were hung from the ceiling, encircling the space of Evanston's Art Center's octagonal gallery. Fifty of these leaves had words or phrases cut into them, stencil-like. Each text-leaf suggests a type of experience of the natural world, and indicates it’s own historic context. The leaves were arranged in a sequential order. In the center of the space stands a pedestal bearing a “mirror”, actually a sunken flower pot (cast bronze). In place of a reflection were moss and small plants. Press about A History of Verdure (link)
Family Tree
The gesture and character of leaves stand in for familial human counterparts. Language in place of image suggests universal relationships.
Corinthian Leaf, I Like Lichen, and others from this series:
Leafy aspects of culture are cut into leaves: one leaf has the Corintian capital design, originating from acanthus leaf-forms, and others have ornamental, leafy lettering forming emblematic mottos relating to nature. These are very large leaves from Paulownia tree saplings, about 18 inches across.
Landscape for Novalis
A list of human emotions were culled from the writings of Novalis and other 18th & 19th century nature-writers. All emotions here were used to describe landscape, not human beings.
Internal Leaves
The fragility and temporality of leaves are used to suggest a shared mortality with the organic world.
Hands and Feet
The Idea of a Sunset
The History of Verdure
Family Tree
Lanscape for Novalis
Corinthian Leaf, I like Lichen Leaf, All Flesh Leaf