Meditations

Toned Cyanotype Prints on paper

In the Hindu religion, God has three aspects: Creation, Maintenance, and Destruction, that intertwine in a cyclical dance we know as our universe. In our culture, we think in a much more linear way, and the darker facets of the cycle are vilified, even demonized. The obvious truth is that destruction and death, although frightening, are necessary for life.

These images are my meditations on the great dance, my struggles toward wisdom. I seek to create a quiet space, where the viewer can take a moment to contemplate the beauty in something not traditionally seen as beautiful; find peace in something vaguely disturbing. Although seemingly a contradiction, truly all things are one.

The cyanotype process is a 19th century photographic process that yields images strikingly different from the clean precision of a digital print. The final step of the toning process transforms the original prussian blue of the prints to deep, earthy browns. The raw, elemental, hand-made feel of the images contributes to the feeling of primal energy I wish to convey.