A desire to escape my surroundings. To be separated from the chaos and feel only the stillness of solitude that is in nature. Escaping into the wilderness represented survival, freedom, identity and safety.
This body of work was created with these themes of isolation, freedom, and finding a version of existence that perseveres through desolation.
It was born alongside the search to make sense of my life, how the past relates to the future, and how to exist despite the odds.
They are spread out unabashedly. Needing space from each other, just sitting alone.
Unashamed of their place in the world. Unashamed of their ruggedness and roughness.
Slightly dry, slightly desolate. But surviving. Surviving despite the lack of water and rain. Despite the odds.
Existing quietly in their own little place meant just for them.
In the desert there is a focus on survival.
A focus of existing among destitute.
Beauty in the ordinary.
Something that is able to be beautiful while fighting to exist and survive.
Creating color out of emptiness. Creating life through perserverance. The ability to endure harsh conditions and still make it out alive. The life that does survive these harsh conditions is thus not easily withered away.
And yet, in their minimalism they largely go unnoticed. There is a quiet strength in their existence. They are survivors but in their simplicity they are overlooked.
But I notice them. I notice their tenacity and their endurance. I notice the humble beauty who seeks no attention. And through this work I sought to highlight the beauty and strength in their existence.
