We inhabit a perilous moment in which the well-being of individuals, our global community, and our planet depend on our ability to truly see one another, to recognize our interdependence, and to revere the natural world that sustains us. Galvanized by the belief that the reciprocity of seeing and being seen offers powerful means of healing, The Place of Good Water seeks to harness this dynamic to foster enduring change. Healing empowers transformation, and transformation begins with the simple yet profound act of being witnessed and regarded as valuable.

 My work is deeply personal, shaped by philosophical inquiries into resilience and the life force inherent in both human beings and nature, an energy that enables us to survive and, in some cases, to thrive. As a photographer, I work with a large-format 8x10-inch view camera to enhance my contemplative process, creating images that transmute human and environmental damage into gestures of renewal. This slow, attentive practice centers beauty and harmony, qualities essential for healing and change. Such attributes are invitations to look deeply, to enter into relationship, and to cultivate care. They form the seeds of action and restoration.

My developing body of work is inspired by the biodiverse ecosystems that surround the home I rent from a generous friend in Amagansett, New York, during the off-season each year. The home provides me with space to create and to host those people with whom I have important relationships. I honor these people—friends, colleagues, fellow artists—by making portraits of them that convey a dialogue about perception that attends to humanity, one that arises from the mutual recognition inherent in seeing and being seen. These images invite questions that have long influenced my creative investigations into relationality.

These portraits are informed by the surrounding environment. Originally inhabited by the Montaukett Indians, who named the region “place of good water,” the area has been altered by rising tides that have severely eroded the beach and by pine beetles that have decimated the surrounding forest. Within this damaged landscape, new life springs from the ruins, including the deep connections I have forged with people in these wild environs. The promise of renewal embodied in the landscape creates a space where pain and vulnerability can be safely revealed and, ultimately, transformed into an intimacy that enables healing and the blossoming of hope and resilience. The Place of Good Water seeks to convey the possibilities realized when we care for, value, and witness one another. Final images are 8x10-inch contact prints that I make in the color darkroom.

More images available upon request.