STATEMENT

Statement

Drawing upon my background in biological science, I make photo-based work that explores the workings of the natural world, the effects of our activities on the creatures of that world, and the filtering of our outdoor experiences through urban living. Traditionally, the scientific study of living things has meant the death of the subjects. In several projects, I look at the irony, implications, and limitations of this practice. Complexity theory demonstrates the need to study intact systems because, usually, “the whole is greater than the sum of the [dissected] parts.”  I worked with living organisms to visually explore concepts of this theory, moving up in scale from the idea of molecular interactions within one living animal to relationships among various members of a garden community.  In both early and ongoing projects, I look at the displacement of wild animals as humans occupy, use or destroy more and more of the planet’s space and energy.  Recently, I have appropriated my own photo books to depict a form of subjective landscape, akin to the imperfections and rearrangements of our perception and memory.

Carol Selter
2015