Each of my woven tapestries consists of multiple photographs, taken from various vantage points, combined together through the process of hand weaving.  They're essentially collages that have been woven together instead of pasted.  I'm drawn to places that have been altered by humans, especially when they've been touched by time and weathered by the elements. I'm interested in bringing a sense of kineticism into each place.  For instance, "Back Story", is intended to depict downtown office buildings in a state of inhalation and exhalation.  Perspective distortions, such as keystoning, are taken advantage of to make the scene less linear and more fluid.  My goal is to create an image that draws the viewer in and around it...a little bit disorienting...a visual journey.  

A theme running through my work is the deconstructing, altering and reconstructing of common objects or scenes.  By focusing on and repeating a pattern I'm concentrating attention on it.  For me, this deepens a sense of place or presence.  The scars of time on a weathered building become beautiful.  A simple fire escape becomes an intriguing pattern.  Cheap, plastic flowers in a cracked vase transform into an image of calm and symmetry.  I feel I'm honoring very common places or objects by giving them time and attention.  I see this as fitting in with the deepest tradition of photography, applied in a somewhat different manner.

Over the last several years my personal life has gone through major upheaval, full of changes I never anticipated, compounded by the pandemic and political chaos.  Like so many people finding themselves having to adapt to a new emotional landscape, I've striven to stay grounded and positive and not lose myself in the fray. With that as the subtext for this series of collages, I wanted to allow my subconscious to lead the way, with no destination in mind at the outset.  The result is somewhat mysterious landscapes, perhaps underwater, perhaps in another world.  They took on names of geological phenomenon, many of which take millennium to play out, which sometimes feels how long it's taking me to adjust to new circumstances.

The weavings are made by first photographing a place from many angles, then making a collage of it to work from as a template for the layout.  I then print two of each selected view and cut them into 3/8" strips to create the warp and weft.  The photos are then combined by weaving them together, either aligning or offsetting each strip depending on the degree of abstraction desired.  Some elements are eliminated and others are repeated.  Camera perspective distortions are utilized to create more abstraction and a sense of movement.  Each finished weaving consists of hundreds of tape splices on the back side.  Once finished, the weaving is secured to a mat board using a roll adhesive.  All products are archival.