Dark Tracing (ongoing)
I am drawn to the shore, a place where earth and sea meet. At night, ghost waves spill over the sand, turning to foam. This dynamic boundary is in constant flux, influenced by tidal shifts, erosion, and the impacts of climate change. I create this experimental cameraless work, Dark Tracing, at the transitional edge of the sea. In this process, an enigmatic microcosm of the ocean is imprinted on my light-sensitive paper.
Over the years, I have observed a gradual increase in the amount of sargassum seaweed on the beach near my home, which darkens the shoreline. This growth is fueled by an increase in sea temperature and, in part, caused by increased agricultural runoff. While this seaweed holds vital importance to the ocean ecosystem, its growing presence in substantial quantities can harm an already threatened environment. Among other concerns, it can hinder sunlight penetration endangering coral reefs and seagrass meadows, and disrupt sea turtle nesting by obstructing hatchlings' path to the ocean. In response, I create an eco-friendly tea from washed-ashore seaweed to develop these images. Then, sea saltwater is used to stabilize them, incorporating a place-based narrative into the final material prints.