Domestic Ground

A mix of archival inkjet prints and backlit polyester film prints

Exposing color film for extended periods of time, I examine the ways domestic landscapes function as sites of cultural and ecological dialogues. Over the course of one year I was invited by family, friends, and acquaintances to make work in 21 different backyards. From affluent homeowners to working class renters, I look at the distinct ways they cultivate personal outdoor spaces. The mundanity of coiled hoses or unpruned rose bushes seems inconsequential, especially in close proximity to the monumental wilderness areas of California. As a female photographer who continues to trek into unpopulated landscapes at night to make photographs, I find the urban yard to be a more salient locus for conducting rituals of plant-human relationships. In addition to being safe, private spaces, backyards reveal a modern-day index for understanding choices we make with regard to green space, creative labor, and social connection.