memoirs (written by trees) #1-10, 2020

Archival Pigment Print, various sizes

“Memoirs” is a series of color photographs of stumps found in The Sea Ranch forest. In post-production, I remove the figure from its background and use a photographic process that filters light to reveal hidden details—like an X-ray exposing what the eye cannot see. The lines, stains, and scars that emerge form a kind of historical record, a memoir written by trees.The blue and purplish hues created through color inversions evoke the redwood’s capacity to store vast amounts of water and fire-resistant tannins—qualities that have enabled these ancient trees to endure drought and fire for centuries.Through the relationship between part and whole, stump and tree, Memoirs contemplates life and decay, resilience and renewal, deforestation and climate change. Each mandala-like stump becomes a portal, connecting earth and cosmos, the inner and outer worlds. Made possible in part by the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division.