Pataphysics is the science of the particular, of imaginary solutions. It references the essence of objects and the properties described by their virtuality. Pataphysics encourages scientific imagining with no limits as it describes the universe that we ought to see in place of the traditional one.

My love for the outdoors has been a constant in my life. From a young age, I spent my time playing outside in the Maine woods. I began collecting and identifying plants, spending hours getting to know my surroundings. This pass-time quickly became an obsession that continues today. My memories are often changed by my imagination embellishing colors and size to create an abstracted reality. This project is where reality meets imagination. Inspired by colors used in impressionist paintings and my interest in surrealism, I have created images of fictional and experiential landscapes. Some images become abstracted versions of themselves while others reveal complex layers of shapes, forms, and colors – derived from both historic and digital photographic processes. They are a representation of how my imagination has altered my memories.

Process is an integral part of this project. When I go out collecting and identifying, I bring my camera and take photographs. When I get back from the woods, I make paper and include the items I found from my walk. After the paper is made, I take the photos from the walk and create colorful abstract images in photoshop. These images are then printed on the handmade paper, coated with cyanotype solution and then exposed to the sun; the photograms are made from cutouts of native and non-native Maine plants. Once the cyanotypes are finished, I photograph them, import them into photoshop, edit them into their final state, and print them onto handmade paper. The progression from natural and organic to technological and digital works to imitate humanity’s relationship with nature. The technological advancements allow me to experiment. I am able to combine antiquity with modernity to create a fantastical imagery.