Along a Shadowed Shore (Ongoing)
I have centered this project on the coastal ecosystems of South Florida, with emphasis on a half-mile radius in Delray Beach. The shoreline, a transitory place where earth and sea meet - marked by tidal shifts, erosion, and climate change - both interests and concerns me. I use experimental and more sustainable processes that incorporate local algae and plant materials to capture the essence of the place. Through cameraless processes, cyanotypes, and anthotypes, this work also connects to themes of conservation and ephemerality.
I have been observing a significant increase in sargassum seaweed on the beach near my home. While this seaweed plays an essential role in the ocean ecosystem, providing sustenance and shelter for various species, its overgrowth threatens to degrade water quality and overwhelm marine environments by smothering habitats and entangling animals. In response to these unprecedented levels of sargassum, I create photograms at the edge of the sea, imprinting a microcosm of the ocean onto my light-sensitive paper. I then make a tea from washed-ashore seaweed to develop these images and use saltwater to stabilize them. This process ignited further curiosity about sargassum, so I began bringing the seaweed into the darkroom to magnify segments and photographically record their intricate structures and gas-filled berries.
Soon, I began venturing up from the water's edge to explore the coastal ecotone, where plants play a significant role in the ecological and physical dynamics of the landscape. Photographed at night against a paper-grid backdrop, area plants are measured and highlighted through cyanotypes. At the same time, I am making anthotypes with fallen frangipani petals, the invasive inch plant, and blackberries, among other plants. They fade and change over time, mirroring the resilient yet fragile, ever-changing nature of the shoreline. Collectively, these works reveal familiar elements of our coastal landscape in unconventional ways that illuminate our impact on, and interdependence with, the natural world.