Statement/ Leaves

The symmetrical leaf, the bare branches in winter – these are things seen every day, but rarely isolated so one is forced to examine the shape, the line, the negative space created around them. My childhood was shaped largely by nature, with help from my mother, a geologist. From a young age I was encouraged to take notice of the natural world around me. However, my own interests were less about scientific phenomenon and more about graphic phenomenon. I began looking for a way to simplify, or deconstruct, the natural world around me into its simplest shapes and designs. I noticed that we rarely see the individual shapes of leaves and branches. We look at the silhouette a tree makes. We may pass by the same trees every day and never appreciate the striking graphic shape of its leaves. So, I take nature out of its environmental context and into the studio. The works are printed in a large format and against pure white or black backgrounds. This forces the viewer to see a leaf or branch as a singular and beautiful object on its own, rather than part of the whole as it is traditionally viewed.