Excerpt From An Email

"What I do specifically is make salt print photograms of living plants, which decay during the very long exposures. As the plants break down, they release moisture and chemicals into the emulsion that cause the salts to change color. The breakdown of the plant helps shape the image just as much as the light from the sun, or the humidity from the environment. Once the plant has completely desiccated, I remove it from the paper and allow the paper to continue to degrade. I don't fix the images. During the whole process, I'm making scans of the images as they change and break down.

I want the work to be about the process of breakdown and transformation. The plants are breaking down, releasing elements and chemistry that causes something new to be created. At the same time, that newly created image has already started to transform. Without it being fixed, it will continue until the image is entirely lost and all that's left is a (pretty much) blank chemical stain.

[Another student] asked how I think that idea related to concepts of veracity and indexicality (index came up a LOT in my first jury), but I'm not sure how to articulate that. In seminar, I have a lot of trouble with the discussion getting stuck on how I'm too process-oriented and not focused enough on content and concept. But for me, that process and chemistry is the content. I'd just like an outside opinion on where I am and if I'm making sense or running in circles."