Spotlight: "Frame of Consequence"
Spotlight gives me an opportunity to showcase a particular image or set of images. Close-up photos can display details from larger pieces. Background stories about the concept, inspiration, circumstances, or development of a piece can be shared, including progressive images of a work-in-progress.
Spotlight library: Is More Than, Interconnected, Rivers in the Sky, The Cost of Soft, AR 4, The Coastal Zone, Time and Tide, Frame of Consequence
"FRAME OF CONSEQUENCE"
The beauty and serenity are what first enticed me to explore coastal wetlands. Then I came to appreciate the essential services they provide to people and the environment. These services are valued at billions of dollars and include: Flood Protection for residential, commercial, and agricultural property, Shoreline Erosion Prevention, Wildlife Food and Habitat, Commercial Fishery Support, Filtration for Water Quality, Carbon Sequestration and Storage, and Recreational Opportunities. Sadly, I have also learned about the loss of wetland acreage as a result of human activities - consequences of the Anthropocene.
By "framing" images of these bucolic landscapes within elements that represent the impact caused by urban and rural development I aim to tell a more complete story. The two photo-collages above are titled "Frame of Consequence" and "Viridescent." They convey ways in which nitrogen pollution from agricultural and urban run-off affect the ecological balance in the wetland ecosystem.
In the grassy areas, nitrogen acts as a super-fertilizer, causing rapid growth, but fewer and weaker roots. Tidal action then knocks down the weakened grasses and carries them out to sea, making the marshes vulnerable to erosion.
After making the two prints above, I cut the center of the grass image to make the "frame." I then dampened and distressed the edges and added the folds, which you can see on the reverse side of the print below.
I extended some of the folds into the landscape print before attaching the two prints together and adding some stitching along the border areas.
You might notice that the stitching is a bit more "wild" and "out of control" than in many of my other pieces. Longer threads extend in all directions, like roots reaching out for solid ground, a hopeful gesture that we can restore and maintain these essential ecosystems.
"Viridescent" (below) focuses on algae blooms in the wetlands. Also caused by nitrogen pollution, large-scale algae growth can prevent sunlight from reaching aquatic plants beneath the surface and deplete oxygen levels in the water. This leads to fish die-offs, reduced biodiversity, and the inability of the ecosystem to filter and clean the water.
The "frame" here is a close-up image of an algae bloom. Again folds extend into the marsh like waves. Stitches act to fortify and secure the land from consequences of the Anthropocene.
I hope you enjoyed this Spotlight on the concept and making of these pieces. You can view more images from the portfolio in my Folding and Mending gallery.
Please feel free to send comments or questions via my Contact Page.