Portfolio Project: Uprooted
This project, titled "Uprooted," is a tribute to the weeds that I yanked out of my yard. While weeding one day, I was touched by the simple beauty of the plants. Some of the roots seemed to be as interesting as the above-the-ground portion of the plants. I usually throw weeds away without paying much attention to them. However, something was different that day. I felt compelled to recognize and preserve their intrinsic beauty.
I decided to make photograms of my weeds using cyanotype, a 19th century technique. The reason for choosing this method is three-fold. First, I was recently inspired by the cyanotype images created by Anna Atkins (1799 - 1871). She was an English botanist and photographer, whose book titled "Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions" is often considered the first book illustrated with photographic images. Secondly, I like the stark contrast of blue and white in cyanotype. Thirdly, I like the directness of photograms where nothing is manipulated by machine. The image is the actual size of the object. No reduction or enlargement occurs. It may be an old-fashioned technique, but I appreciate its simplicity and honesty in representing the object.
I admire the vitality and tenacity of the weeds. I sometimes wonder if I am as strong as the weeds. I can relate to the notion of uprooting; because I uprooted myself from a familiar environment in Japan when I moved to the U.S. Although I was blessed with opportunities to thrive in this new landscape, my weeds were not so fortunate. I killed them.
My desire to make amends to the weeds is one of the motivating factors to created this Uprooted series. We cannot live without consuming or using plants. This realization often gives me a sense of guilt and loss, especially when I see fleeting beauty in nature. Another important factor is dualism, such as life and death, which is a recurring them in my work.
I decided to make photograms of my weeds using cyanotype, a 19th century technique. The reason for choosing this method is three-fold. First, I was recently inspired by the cyanotype images created by Anna Atkins (1799 - 1871). She was an English botanist and photographer, whose book titled "Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions" is often considered the first book illustrated with photographic images. Secondly, I like the stark contrast of blue and white in cyanotype. Thirdly, I like the directness of photograms where nothing is manipulated by machine. The image is the actual size of the object. No reduction or enlargement occurs. It may be an old-fashioned technique, but I appreciate its simplicity and honesty in representing the object.
I admire the vitality and tenacity of the weeds. I sometimes wonder if I am as strong as the weeds. I can relate to the notion of uprooting; because I uprooted myself from a familiar environment in Japan when I moved to the U.S. Although I was blessed with opportunities to thrive in this new landscape, my weeds were not so fortunate. I killed them.
My desire to make amends to the weeds is one of the motivating factors to created this Uprooted series. We cannot live without consuming or using plants. This realization often gives me a sense of guilt and loss, especially when I see fleeting beauty in nature. Another important factor is dualism, such as life and death, which is a recurring them in my work.