Artist Statement and Statement of Resistance

Artist Statement: 

At times, pictures can provide more sensory stimulation and captivation than words can with the variety of colors and textures that can be captured in a single frozen moment. For someone who typically has a difficult time putting ideas into words, I have been drawn to photography as a way to express myself and explore the world. I am a digital photographer who focuses on and is inspired by the beautiful landscapes that surround me. I traditionally found beauty in natural spaces where plants and animals have been allowed to live unaltered by man, but have also come to find beauty in created structures. During 2015, I studied under Tracy Lukehart, a professor at Solano College, where I produced my first collection, “The Road Less Traveled,” and gained knowledge in technical aspects of photography such as lighting and composition. However, I have found that self-teaching and experimenting is one of the best ways to expand one’s craft. Through this experimentation, I have discovered my own style as an artist and my passion for the environment.

At the core of my photographic work is environmental preservation. Preserving the environment is a hot topic as of late as scientists are beginning to monitor the effects and bring their concerns into the public eye. Temperatures are rising, icecaps are melting, and animals are having to adapt to these and other changes. This is a subject that I hold close to my heart, as I was raised in a family that went camping every year and spent a great amount of time enjoying and admiring nature. Year after year, we would return to Lake Almanor during summer and find the area relatively unchanged even though so many other things in this world change every day. However, after looking closer, the effects of global warming were clearly evident in the years of drought when the lake level dropped to 4475 feet in October of 2015 and rose to 4493 feet in February 2017 after the first significant rainy season. I have witnessed this continual change through my annual visits and am devastated at the potential loss of this beautiful recreational space. Land like this must be protected and cared for. For this reason, nature is one of the main subjects in my work. When I am out exploring nature, I try to capture nature and the things I find beautiful in the best way I can.

With my photographs, I want to be eyes to those who are unable to see for themselves the places or subjects I photograph. An economic or physical impediment or simply an inability to pay attention to or see the beauty in subjects could prevent an individual from truly understanding the beauty and importance of nature. Art is typically not accessible to all so I want to be able to distribute my art in a way that can reach a wider audience. I want to show an audience how beautiful our land is in order to inspire them to work harder to preserve it in any small way they can. I want them to feel the same joy I feel while on location as if they were there with me in the moment my shutter snapped closed. 

Photo by Natalie Leduc

Statement of Resistance:

As I create this project, it is important for me to identify what I believe and what I aim to do here. I strongly believe that nature is worth saving, and that small steps can make a large impact. I recognize that I am not alone in fighting this issue. Many have come before me, and many will come after me in the fight for environmental preservation. I resist those who refuse to acknowledge that this is an issue worth fighting for or simply brush off so called tree huggers. I must celebrate the fact that there is a large community of people who are also passionate about this issue and reach out to join them, for a community is stronger than an individual. We must recognize and celebrate the progress that has been made so far, but also that there is a long way to go.