Swim to the Light

“Swim to the Light “ (Performances: 2019-present) continues the investigation of exploring site specific locations and my own autobiographical geography while using cartography, endurance based mark making, and modern satellite technology to track bodily movement on the surface of the water. The Penfield lighthouse also serves as a personal art gallery 1.5 miles off shore; a DIY pop up exhibition space. By swimming out to the light and commandeering the structure to create a series of offshore exhibitions and performance events, I seek to create an experience only to be seen by those intrepid enough to make the journey. By taking over off shore spaces, I also seek to challenge the traditional conventions of the gallery space and the gallery system. The exhibitions are hung and exist in the lighthouse; a gift to the sea and to the memory of Fred Jordan. Jordan, a Penfield lighthouse keeper, was lost at sea in an attempt to row ashore to bring his family home made Christmas presents on December 22, 1916. His ghost is said to inhabit the lighthouse and can be seen wandering the rocks and shoal surrounding the structure.

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Rocks and Stones

“Rocks and Stones” continues my exploration of the metaphysical and geological connection to autobiography through the found object. Each cyanotype print is created through a series of actions where singular stones are taken upon the exit of relevant and personally meaningful locations after having swam, surfed, or paddled in their waters. In this series, I reference a local surf spot in the South County of Rhode Island called, “The K’s” , various local beaches on the south shore of Long Island, and many of the rocky coves of the Long Island Sound in Connecticut. Each stone is the residue of an action; an artifact to be collected, studied, and cataloged. Through its discovery and selection, the stone becomes recontextualized, yet its energy and connection to place endures. The immersion in water and the stone as record, serve to bind us to location and establish our own personal and spiritual connections to place.

"Rocks and Stones: The K's" 2023

22x30" each, unique cyanotype photographic print

"Rocks and Stones: The K's" 2023

8x10" unique cyanotype photographic print

"Rocks and Stones: The K's" 2023

22x30" unique photographic cyanotype print

"Rocks and Stones: The K's" 2023

22x30" unique photographic cyanotype print

Cyano Maps: Swimming a Line

Cyano Maps utilize a combination of century old photographic and cartographic processes, coupled with modern GPS tracking, bodily movement, and performance. Often, I set out on my open water swims without a plan as I attempt to draw lines on the surface of the ocean with my body; letting nature pull and push me where the currents want me to go. Other times, I plot points, and target landmarks with purpose to discover and explore my surroundings. What are left are my “Water Drawings”; my path and my record, drawn on the surface of the ocean; the residue of a happening erased by wind and waves. Through the cyanotype medium I reference the blue of the ocean as if seen from miles above while simultaneously asking, “What is my relationship to place, and where and how do I leave my mark?”