Synthesis

Earth’s ecosystems must maintain a perfect balance among their many cycles and processes, such as plant growth and flowering. This balance is vital to the survival of the many organisms within the ecosystem, including humans, yet human activity has an immense impact on upsetting this delicate balance. My work investigates our human connection with the natural world, our effects upon it, and the importance of our role in maintaining [or mitigating the damage humans have inflicted upon the environment] the fragile balance in the environment. Synthesis is a large scale video projection which reimagines the human form as native Arizona plant species as they blossom and grow. As a former competitive synchronized swimmer with years of experience, I use my own physical form, filmed underwater to choreograph movements reminiscent of a variety of desert plant species. In the same way that a synchronized swimmer’s rhythm and timing is critical to the success of the team, the synchrony of ecological events is essential to the fitness of the ecosystem. Using physical shape and form alone, I am focused on visually representing not only how similar our human form can be to that of plants, but also how vital plants are to our survival, rendering us and plants as one in the same.