chi·me·ra
noun
1. (in Greek mythology) a fire-breathing female monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. · any mythical animal with parts taken from various animals.
2. an organism containing a mixture of genetically different tissues, formed by processes such as fusion of early embryos, grafting, or mutation.
Connected Earth considers how nature is deeply connected forming a single entity that is whole in and of itself, yet is perceived as a collection of separate units to the human eye. Trees of a forest create an invisible scaffolding, within which they operate both as individuals and as a collective. The trees engage in a symbiosis with the fungal network allowing them to communicate through their root systems. They use this interconnected web to carry out essential tasks for survival, such as warning each other of intruders, exchanging resources, and nourishing their young. This linked network of trees forms an egoless community in which one life is directly joined to another, forming the entire forest that we see.
This interconnectedness persists throughout the natural world with recurring patterns emerging from the microscopic veins of a leaf, the formation of a frost flower, the rhythm of horizon and ridge lines, and clouds carried across the sky. The images themselves, some displayed as pieces newly joined together with photographs taken in distinct locations at different times, materialize into new imaginary landscapes without losing their familiar natural shape.
As we start to appreciate and discover the connections of the natural world, we draw witness to the emergence of new patterns, and the intricate layers of these deep connections. What does the collective experience become when we focus on commonalities and networks, rather than divergence? How does this create new perceptions of how we see the world?
This body of work contemplates how our perception of individuality and separateness within nature may not only be false, but may hinder the efforts of our own species to survive as a global population in trying times.
