playscapes
:: playscapes :: This project was born from an instantaneous moment of uncommon observation. My work has traditionally centered on the natural landscape, so I oftentimes become somewhat oblivious to other possible photographic subjects that may present themselves to me. The moment struck just after my kids had been put to bed, as I walked the perimeter of their playroom, picking up random toys from the floor. I walked past a dollhouse, and something caused me to stop, slow down, and actually look at the creations I was so hastily scooping up. What I observed was a toy car, both doors open, and two figures lying outside of the car. This struck many chords within me, and caused me to think about what may have happened in this scene. I started looking further, and was intrigued by the scenes that were constructed as a result of innocent play. The juxtaposition of the mood created from innocence fascinates me. These scenes are created, and re-imagined several times per day, and weave a complex strand of emotion. Just as a moment in a photograph, they are swept away to create a new imaginary narrative. My daughters have become the “involuntary art directors” in this work, and I haven’t told them about this, or let them see the photographs, for fear that it would affect their play, and make the remnants less pure. I have become immersed in photographing what I know the best, and that is the world of the imagination of my kids, and their toys that surround us every day. This is an ongoing body of work, that I hope will go through metamorphosis over time, as my daughters get older, and the nature of their play changes.
