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In these still life photographs, objects found lifeless in one environment are repositioned to suggest life. Through their displaced and manipulated context, the discarded, broken, frayed and forgotten are redeemed in a celebration of joyous regeneration. Captured in the midst of their newly granted lives, these objects transcend their previous fate and are thus immortalized in the photograph. For me, the process of collecting and photographing my assemblages is equivalent to a rescue mission: to save from extinction, to reclaim, and to revitalize what others might disregard or reject. By detaching the objects in these assemblages from their normal context (roadside, dump site, natural history museum, or junkyard) and then recontextualizing them, these still lifes are resuscitated and reanimated by the photograph. These anthropomorphic constructions take on psychological dimensions which reference dreams, myths, and fairytales, evoking much more than real life.
DISCLAIMER: The birds featured in these still lifes were found dead, whether by the roadside, under large windows, or brought home by one of my many cats (bad kitty). Through the photograph, these birds participate in the creation of new meanings with alternative histories and futures. The photograph becomes the object that allows these castaways to be cherished once more. These still lifes were photographed on location where the bird was found and then retouched in Photoshop for the final image. Once photographed, these birds were left to the inevitability of decay.
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