SHEER BEAUTY: Endangered Flora

Responding to the recent threats to our environment by the encouragement of de-forestation by burning in the Amazon, climate change and global warming, I researched to learn that several species of Andean and Mesoamerican cloud forest flora that have become extinct in their native habitats are thriving at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Botanist Dr. Dennis Breedlove collected samples in the 1950’s that survive only here now in the unique climate of San Francisco. Rain forest species are also imminently threatened as are ultimately all plant life on Earth due to mankind’s interference with Mother Nature, not limited to pollution, climate change and global warming, but the potential impacts of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), etc.

My photos are deliberately overexposed to blur the relationship between positive and negative space to disorient our perceptions to lead us to question what we are seeing. The negative space represents Earth's losses due to pollution, global warming and climate change. The translucent images are meant to remind us that many species are literally fading away into extinction. By presenting them in two layers on translucent silk spaced 2” (5 cm) apart, one has to look at them straight-on to see the flora image appear - a reminder that we must confront the issue head-on if there is any hope in saving endangered species before they are gone forever and we only see them in photographs as reminders of what once was.