The work is material based using snow, ice, and water and is constantly impacted by the weather and the point in the season and the time of the day. The Snow Cities are simulated cities constructed of snow and ice using plastic packaging containers as molds. All the cities are constructed for the purpose of being photographed and printed as large format digital prints. Vivid color is used to lure the viewer in to confront these fragile cities. The Cities reference the identifiable play that children engage in when building sand castles and cities to understand the world around them.
Humans are compelled to build and create. With unparalleled accomplishments and wealth comes hubris and resistance to change. The Snow Cities are located along the water’s edge and are melting and slipping away. At the same time the water continues to reflect the grandeur of the city. We look at the world around us and it appears stable and at the same time changes are happening that we cannot fully comprehend. The Snow Cities are constantly changing, some parts melting and others being rebuilt, but a tipping point will be reached where the repairs can’t keep pace with the destruction. There is a science fiction quality to the snow structures, reflecting the way many relate to climate change. It is easier to dismiss the scientific evidence as a dystopian fantasy than confront the overwhelming evidence.
The scale of objects in the prints is ambiguous and theatrical. The disposable packaging is a reference to an unsustainable use of resources. The prints are tiled photographs that began as a means of creating large format prints. It became a means of introducing a more natural visual experience to the photography. The image goes in and out of focus throughout the print, reflecting subtle points of interest, and the angle alignments of objects are more relaxed. There is a post-production clarification of space that comes from painting and drawing.
The materials in the prints denote the different states of water. They connote a fragile environment in rapid change. The properties of water, ice and snow are hard facts that are not open negotiation. When the snow structures reach 33 degrees they vanish rapidly.