“Origins and Intersections” 

An abiding appreciation for our natural world and the role we play in it is the focus of my artistic studio practice and work. Plant and animal specimens are feral plunder.  I isolate them from their environs and reclaim them as still life subjects. In this series, nature is presented not only as a found object, but also as a means to explore ideas of the human condition:  life, death, love, cruelty, isolation and resilience.  The process of image capture is detailed and direct.  It presents even the most modest insect, lichen or bone on equal terms, which calls into question our perceived human dominance.

In lieu of the camera, my creative tool is a flatbed scanner, which renders each subject in high optical resolution and a limited depth of field.  The resulting images are printed as photographs and reimagined through a mixed media process.  Layers of wax, oil stick, pastel, and transfer are employed as symbols of change and unpredictability that occurs as the evolving natural world journeys through a continuous passage of seasons and time.  Our existence with the environment is meant to be a collaborative one.  The singular motivation of nature to adapt for its survival provides keys to our preservation as well.

Carra Garza