Catskill Prairie
My work examines the process of reclamation and its expression in physical and psychological transformations. I’m drawn to narratives addressing the environment and memory. I use plants, homemade dyes, biodegradable and recycled fabrics, locally sourced and naturally dyed wool and thread. Gathering and pressing native plants to then use as forms to print on fabric has become a central part of my painting practice. I create a variety of textiles—naturally dyed, cyanotypes, and plant stamped—as collage elements for large paintings.
The photochemical process of cyanotype was developed in the early 1840’s. It was originally used for the reproduction of drawings (blueprints) or natural objects. Following in that tradition, I wanted to combine the essence of scientific examination with the themes that drive my work as a whole. My cyanotype studies are about the perception of an idealized nature more than an accurate portrayal of a particular specimen. The cyanotype “Catskill Prairie” was created from pressed plants gathered on a friend’s land in the Hudson Valley. Prairies do not occur naturally in upstate NY; it is a transplanted midwestern dream growing on four acres where it shouldn’t be. As someone who once tried to grow California native plants from my childhood in a cold New York sunroom, I can relate to this kind of nostalgic re-creation. The composition invokes how it feels to sit in the prairie and look out through the grasses, cone-flower, bee-balm, queen-anne’s lace, and goldenrod.
