The Elements In Four Movements

“The Elements In Four Movements” is a series of constructed landscapes created by combining, in a grid, 4-12 single images. This series began because of a major change in my life – transitioning from the stressful role of running as arts non-profit to becoming an urban homesteader. As a way to manage the pressures of that world, I had found myself looking up to the sky or the forest canopy and finding serenity there. That same refuge became the inspiration to a new body of work.  The series explores the essence or spirit of each of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire; the earth’s repeating cycles of vigorous growth, the might and power of the ocean, and the playful calm of clouds. The series continues to be an important part of re-calibrating my life to be more in tune with rhythms of the natural world. Focusing on how forms and lines on bordering images in the grid match up, I place each individual photograph to give the illusion of continuity across the multiple images. For each composite, I create hundreds and sometimes over a thousand single images to work from. I feel there is only one combination that “works” as a compelling composition and it is my task to intuitively discover that secret combination. In Photoshop, I alter the edges so that the transition is either barely noticeable or entirely seamless.