In the summer of 2012 I completed a month-long residence making calotypes at Lacock Abbey, the family estate of William Henry Fox Talbot in Wiltshire, England. The calotype is a paper-negative process originally introduced by Fox-Talbot in 1841.

 

"Like a Weed" is an on-going series of color photographs of my son Jake, which began in 2002 when he was six years old. I construct sets for him in my studio with lumber, plants, fabric, paper, paint, dirt, photographs and other materials. The work is a personal reflection on parenting and the prevalent metaphors linking maternity with the fecundity of nature. Like many women, I often find myself in my least "natural" state as I wend my way through the confusing tasks of parenting. The most recent images are about Jake's transition away from childhood – and from me – towards independence.

"Home and Garden" is a broader series of work loosely related to the desires, fears and observances of my domestic life. It includes color photography, video, cyanotype body prints and light boxes that combine photography with grass, fungus and carnivorous plants. Much of this work is influence by my interest in Victorian culture, including the language of flowers and the origins of photography.