Imprints

I was inspired to begin photographing the Icelandic landscape 20 years ago, after I moved to the United States and realized how closely my homeland was connected to my identity and sense of being. Created from the perspective of my temporal lobe epilepsy, the fragmented landscapes visualize a sense of distortion and loss, emphasizing the imperfections of memory. Over the years I have noticed changes in the landscape in Iceland and have incorporated that into the work. I am hand cutting photographs and layering them, creating unique sculptural pieces. Removing parts of the images and altering them speaks to these changes and the disappearing landscape. In some of the works glaciers have been removed revealing black, suggesting their absence, and in others I am using text on global warming emphasizing the urgency of the situation. I also use topography patterns to visualize erosion and by stacking one image on top of another there is an added element of unfolding in the work. In the layering of the destroyed photographs what is hidden becomes as important as what is visible noting that nothing ever stays the same. In other pieces I am utilizing human biological patterns, such as those of fingerprints, retinal veins or brain circuits indicating our own personal connection to nature and the responsibility for our impressions and impact on the world around us. Inspired by the volatile weather we have had most recently, I am also wrapping photographs around sticks and weaving the landscape together as a symbol of both the destruction caused by climate change and our ability to take action.