Slope

Despite growing up in a flat area of Virginia, I have long been drawn to mountainous regions. In 2004 I moved to rural Roanoke, Virginia after living in Philadelphia and Washington, DC and was profoundly affected by the switch from concrete to nature and from flatness to hills. In response I spent quite a bit of time on road trips exploring the area and making images of the environment. I became particularly enamored with the movement of the landscape. The land feels very alive to me, like a creature we cannot see dancing below and around us. In addition the terrain seems mysterious; I am fascinated with how mountains can obscure, yet be surmounted.

As this project evolved, I began to notice the fences and mounds that act as extensions of the land to contain, protect or shield from view. In addition, footpaths, roads and stairs provide access through the landscape while ditches and drains direct the flow of water after a rain. While I am responding to the natural flow of the landscape, I am more focused on the modification; this work is not about the beautiful rolling hills but about how we navigate our surroundings.