Kelda Van Patten

Image © Kelda Van Patten

Artist Statement

For this series, If I had a flower for every time I think of you, I utilized cut-out photographs from a variety of diverse landscapes, including the plains of Northern Wyoming, the Bay Area Botanical Gardens, eBay, and my own backyard. My process involves layers of collage, drawing, and re-photography to make compositions that playfully shift perceptions of reality and artifice. Before digitalization, much of my work is done in front of a medium-format camera. While I am outside exploring with my camera, I recognize some species, but there are many that I do not. I often challenge myself to leave my iPhone in my pocket, resisting the urge to open the iNaturalist app to identify plants unknown to me. I think about how once a label is attached, I might stop looking closely, so I started coming up with my own names, looking even closer to see if I have it right. According to Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass, "Not knowing names can be disorienting. Names are the way we build relationships, not only with each other but with other species. Philosophers call this state of isolation and disconnection, 'Species loneliness,' a deep unnamed sadness stemming from estrangement from the rest of creation, from the loss of relationship." These photographs reference species loneliness, and at the same time, many of the images also recall small moments of inter-species interaction and connection. I strive to create layers of discord and dissonance, celebrating what is awkward, along with small moments of beauty and curiosity.

Kelda Van Patten | Portland, OR