The Same Dirt

A multitude of lines exist in the world that divide us from one another, some are visible, and others are more conceptual. Regardless of their physical or ethereal form, these demarcations also impact the opportunities that are afforded to those that inhabit the space on either side of the line, they determine how the land and resources are managed, but perhaps most notably – these lines help us define who we are, they define our place in the world.

The images that comprise The Same Dirt question these lines, their importance, and explores their perceived permanence. By deconstructing these lines, my work opens the spaces that these lines once enclosed and returns the whole of the land to a singular place. Each image is titled based on the motto of the state that served as its impetus; however, in the same way that the borderlines were decontextualized to create the compositions, the verbiage of these mottoes is also reconsidered. This reformulated turn of phrase may provide a clue for viewers, but for most the location will remain obscured.

Incorporating commingled soil samples collected from around the country that are laid down on the surface of the paper as a substrate, the deconstructed border lines are drawn through the dirt allowing for the light of the sun to interact with the surface of the light sensitive paper. A fugitive shadow remains in those areas, and these ephemeral images are scanned, printed digitally and archived to allow for presentation. All the while the original, light sensitive prints are archivally stored, slowly aging and continuing to age and evolve in the safety of darkness waiting for the day when they become permanent.