Ikebana Constructions: 2006-2009

Ikebana Constructions: 2006-2009

Archival Injet Prints

This body of work used the floral art of ikebana as a framework for considering photographic perception as well as pop culture and traditional Japanese aesthetics. I arranged my own ikebana with seasonal plant material and then photographed these arrangements outside, in a tableau constructed with photo-wallpaper “windows” and fabric scrim backdrops. The ceramic containers used for these arrangements were selected from abandoned student projects left in the CSULA ceramics studio.

At first glance it may appear that the intricacy of these compositions rely on Photoshop, but a closer inspection reveals that all the photographs are straight documents of the constructed 3-D set-ups. This interplay between sculptural and photographic information and the impact it has on deciphering the image is central to this project. In addition, the photographic medium is fundamental given my reliance on framing and spatial illusion and the fragility of the organic materials I used in the arrangements. The resulting images question viewer expectations by offering visually complex assemblages that draw attention to the act of interpreting photographic information in the digital age and attempt to give new value and meaning to traditional aesthetics  and the hand made.