After Lava #1

felt, photography, handspun fiber,  2012

After Lava is a series inspired by my visit to a pristine lava tube in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, and also my nighttime viewing of lava streams flowing into the ocean with explosive force.  The photographs I took at the time captured for me the primordial nature of the lava and its aftermath. The close contact with evidence of the powerful simultaneous forces of destruction and creation arising from the core of our earth touched me deeply.
I printed these photographs using archival pigments on watercolor paper to enhance the other-worldly nature of the images.  As a fiber artist, I sought to offer my personal vision and experience by stitching on elements of handspun silk and hair, and wrapping the image with carefully composed handmade wool felt. 

One of the most dramatic experiences in the darkness of the lava tube was having a glimpse of the brilliant outside world through a skylight.  To recreate this juxtaposition of two worlds in some of the pieces, I have cut away part of one photograph in order to reveal a second underlying image.
The varied mineral formations within this unusual environment appear both as small mysterious creatures, as well as visions of the vast universe.  The tiny life forms, including spiders, moths, and plant roots that exist in this extreme environment,are also surprising.

I have used the duality of this microcosm/macrocosm as a metaphor for exploring the vastness and richness of my own inner space as well as my relationship to the world around me, and my place in the universe. Through this work, I invite viewers to experience their own personal journeys.